Sea of Sand
by Sonnie
Summary: People travel great distances to find love...Sometimes they don't have to. Tenten learns that in her hurry to flee what was tying her down, she was really distancing herself from those who cared about her most. This is her journey back to them...and him.
1. Roles

**Roles**

By: Sonnie

Tenten sighed, hands resting on her hips as she stood over the unconscious form of Rock Lee. True to the brand of uniqueness he quite liberally exuded, he was sprawled rather oddly at her feet, half draped over the bottom half of a staircase. Upside down, naturally, just to make things more difficult.

There had been a huge celebration that night for Inuzuka Kiba's birthday. True to his outgoing personality, he'd pretty much invited whoever had nothing better to do that night. It had been a wild, raucous party with more than a fair amount of alcohol. Late that night (or very early morning), everyone had either gone home or was settled comfortably in a chair, except, of course, for Rock Lee.

"Lee, what on earth am I going to do with you?" Tenten muttered, wondering how she would go about straightening him out so he wasn't all stiff and sore the next morning.

"You really shouldn't coddle him like that," a rich baritone commented behind her.

"But Neji, look at him," Tenten said, feeling the little grin touch her lips as she looked adoringly on the form of her friend. "He's so…innocent looking. It's not his fault he passed out drunk like this."

At Neji's look, she averted her eyes sheepishly.

"Okay, so it _is_ his fault, but still…" Tenten sighed. "He deserves better than to wake up with a killer hangover _and_ a sore body."

"He won't ever learn anything if you keep doing things for him," Neji said flatly.

"You act like I spoil him," Tenten snapped. "Besides, I would do the same for you."

Neji looked at her evenly, his gaze saying quite clearly he wouldn't do the same for her. Shaking his head, he left her to her task. Tenten surveyed the mass of arms and legs her teammate had become, giving him a soft kick in the side to end his loud snoring. Reaching over to grab the closest arm, she stopped when she felt someone behind her.

"Hyuuga's right; you spoil him with your consideration," the gravelly voice told her. To her knowledge, only one person had a voice like that. Gaara.

"It's not like I _mother_ him," Tenten said, turning around and crossing her arms. "Honestly, with men's attitudes, it's a wonder compassion hasn't totally dried up."

Gaara gave her a grave smile at her cross statement, amused that she was getting worked up over something so small. He had been amazed that such a competitive girl hadn't held a grudge with Temari, but the brunette seemed to be the most easygoing of all the kunoichi he had met in Konoha. He'd gotten to know her a bit better over recent months especially and also found her to be the least annoying one, too.

"Naruto mentioned that you don't sleep…so do you think you can give me a hand?" Tenten asked hopefully, flashing what she hoped was charming smile. "It won't even take a minute."

Gaara blinked. Not really sure what else to do, he grabbed Lee's other arm. Lee grimaced, and Gaara realized that perhaps he'd held it too tightly. Unaccustomed to gentleness, he'd never really touched another human being in anything other than violence. With Tenten's direction, he maneuvered the green-clad ninja so his body lay evenly on the floor.

Wiping her hands of imaginary dirt, Tenten smiled at him. Not used to receiving such attention, Gaara looked away and gazed pointedly looked down.

"Thanks, I was kind of worried I'd wrench his arms out of their sockets if I did it by myself," Tenten admitted. "And I wouldn't want him trying to do one hundred pushups tomorrow in that condition. It's bad enough that he's going to run two hundred laps around Konoha with a hangover."

Gaara blinked at the mental image. He had to admit, like Naruto, Rock Lee had grudgingly earned his respect. Despite being moderately annoying, he was a good person and after realizing the value of others, he couldn't deny that Lee deserved all the kindness his friends showed him.

Feeling uncomfortable now that his task had been carried out, he was about to walk away when he caught the affectionate gaze that Tenten gave Lee. It wasn't romantic, that much was clear, but it was—

"Why do you care so much about him?" Gaara asked her suddenly, his voice seeming almost unnaturally loud. "He's just your teammate. You don't even go on that many missions together anymore"

Tenten gave him another smile. "Yeah, he is my teammate, but he's also my friend. And he's like a little brother to me, like the little brother I never had but always secretly wanted…and even though he annoys the hell out of Neji and even out of me, I'm still like his big sister. And any good big sister takes care of her brothers, even if they're being impossible. It's just what they do."

Gaara stood there contemplating her words for a moment. Giving her a polite nod, he bade her good night and walked to the door with the intent of getting some fresh air. He passed his brother and sister, who were both resting peacefully. Deciding to remain, he sank down onto the floor between their chairs, glancing first at his brother's face, then at his sister's.

_Temari's always taken care of us, even when we were driving her up the wall,_ Gaara recalled. _Even though she was afraid of me, she'd always find little ways to show she cared…I don't deserve a sister like Temari. She's always kept us together and she's always looking out for us…for me…_

Gaara leaned his head against Temari's chair, cheek twitching as some of her straw-colored hair tickled his face. He looked up to where her head rested on the arm of the chair, expression devoid of its usual stress and anxiety.

Gaara allowed himself to relax when he realized that Temari had never thought to put herself first when it came to their family. The role of its protector fell naturally on her, and she had done it without complaint. Because that's just what she did.


	2. Sink

**Sink**

By: Sonnie

Temari watched interestedly as the Leaf ninja stood in waist deep water, gesturing towards Gaara to join her. The latter couldn't swim; not unusual, given he grew up in the desert. Gaara was staring at the brunette skeptically, standing at the water's edge in a pair of black pants. Tenten smiled patiently.

"It won't bite," she told him gently. Thankfully not sinking to the condescendingly maternal level, the kunoichi managed to slip a rather irritating amount of teasing and chastisement into her voice. Gaara bristled at her tone.

"No."

The redhead attempted to stare her down for a moment, quickly remembering that since Neji was her former teammate no amount of lethal staring would be enough to make her wilt. He settled for crossing his arms over his bare chest and setting his jaw.

"You were the one that requested to learn this," Tenten reminded him with a tiny smile.

"I changed my mind," Gaara told her dully.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, then why don't you have your sister teach you?" Tenten asked him.

"She can't swim either," Gaara said simply.

Temari frowned inwardly when she saw the corner of the brown-haired kunoichi's lips turn up slightly.

"I see," Tenten said sagely, nodding slowly.

"It's really not so bad," Shikamaru commented from his position on the ground, arms bent behind his head as he looked at the sky. "Tenten's a good teacher, Gaara. I can't think of anyone better to teach you. She taught me."

"And you still sink like a rock," Tenten remarked, raising an eyebrow at him and shooting him a mocking grin. "Which is surprising, given how scrawny you are. At least all the _other_ people I've taught can swim."

Shikamaru brushed it off, successfully ignoring her as he returned his attention to the clouds.

"We'll start out slowly, I promise," Tenten reassured Gaara. "Now please, this is going to bother you if you don't learn. And I don't mind doing it, but I might not be there to save you next time."

Kankurou and Gaara had been on a mission with some Leaf ninja when the red-haired Sand nin was knocked off a bridge. He hadn't the time or available land to produce enough Sand to save him from falling; his available sand was aiding his brother and he'd steadfastly refused to abandon him by removing that aid. Tenten had read the fear in his eyes and jumped in after him.

He was thrashing around in panic; she had tried unsuccessfully to talk sense into him before they both drowned. After dragging his struggling body to the shore, she had to fight off several more ninja before she reached Kankurou and reassured him his brother was safe.

Garra frowned at the memory of helplessness before stepping into the water. Shuddering at the cool temperature, he ground his teeth when he noticed that Tenten didn't seem affected.

_Damn, why does she seem so well-adjusted to _everything Gaara wondered darkly.

Kankurou was watching his brother curiously. The brunette was so patient; then again, with that hyperactive teammate and flat-out bizarre instructor of hers, it made sense. That Hyuuga had also given her a thick skin, which was helpful when dealing with someone like Gaara. He had toned down his disposition after his battle with Naruto, but he was a far cry from even-tempered.

Kankurou's eyes kept darting over to Tenten, whose bathing suit was driving him mad. Far from immodest, the simple cut was enhanced by its brilliant Kelly green hue. Bruises from where Gaara's bony elbows had struck her while he was drowning spotted her chest and stomach, marring the pale flesh. Dark brown hair pulled into a single, high ponytail, it fell between her shoulder blades and ended right above her waist. The ends were dripping water down her back, which disappeared into the surface of the lake.

"Alright, the water out here is about chest deep," Tenten told Gaara, moving further out. "I know it must feel strange, but just try to get yourself acclimated. We're going to start out with learning how to tread water. You won't be able to get anywhere, but at least you won't sink like pineapple head over there."

Shikamaru turned his head towards her and shot her a withering stare before returning to cloud watching.

"Actually, it's his hair that looks like a pineapple," Gaara corrected. "His head is shaped like a cantaloupe."

Tenten laughed, a pleasant noise that made Kankurou frown at how extraordinarily good it sounded. The last thing he needed was to fall in love with a Leaf ninja. Especially _her_. He wasn't sure what her relationship with Hyuuga was and wasn't anxious to have a stuck-up genius shinobi hunting him down for making a pass at his girl.

Tenten was what to do with her arms while treading water, making sure Gaara was comfortable before instructing him on how to move his legs. Kankurou noticed that Temari was also listening to the instruction. Tenten was a good teacher for Gaara; competent but unthreatening. The idea made him smile.

"What are you so happy about?" Shikamaru drawled.

Kankurou stiffened imperceptibly. He hadn't noticed the other man had shifted his attention to him.

"What do you mean?"

Shikamaru looked him over skeptically. "Why are you _smiling_ at her?"

_Busted._

Kankurou shrugged. "I don't know."

"Don't you?" Shikamaru challenged. "She's in love with Hyuuga, you know."

Kankurou exhaled slowly. "Sort of like how Ino is in love with Sasuke?"

Shikamaru frowned. "She's not in love with him and never really was," he said quietly. "When he left, it was Chouji and me she was worried about most. She told me herself."

"Congratulations," Kankurou deadpanned. He knew his sister had feelings for the lazy ninja; feelings that she was really bad at hiding. Temari knew she had competition in the form of Ino, Shikamaru's best friend. Having seen the girl a fair amount of times, Kankurou had to admit the platinum blonde had his sister outclassed in the beauty department.

"I can't tell you how Neji feels about her," Shikamaru told him honestly. "But he's always been less than pleased when she's received attention from men."

"Great, leaving their relationship anywhere between brotherly concern and aggressive possessiveness," Kankurou remarked dryly. "But I plan to nip this one in the bud; I won't entertain any stupid ideas about her being anything more than the occasional teammate."

Shikamaru smirked. "If only it were that easy."

Scowling, Kankurou glanced back towards the water where Tenten was gently chiding Gaara for his choppy motions.

"You shouldn't be splashing so much," she told him. "Treading water is supposed to be easy—you need lots of energy in case you're in a situation where you have to tread water for hours."

If it were possible, Gaara paled. "People have to do that?"

"Yes, though it's hardly pleasant," Tenten said ruefully. "I'll never forget the time Gai-sensei made the three of us compete over who could swim the farthest."

"Who won?" Gaara asked absently, more concerned with how far he was getting from the shore. Not quite getting the hang of it, he was drifting farther from the shore.

Tenten smiled brilliantly. "I did," she said proudly. "Although I hurt like hell the next day. Nejit poked fun at me the next day when we sparred. I was moving slower than a turtle."

Kankurou scanned his memory to recall if he'd ever seen Hyuuga converse with a member of the opposite sex. Once, he'd seen the man talking civilly to his cousin, Hinata, but the conversation was rigid and formal. He'd said a few words in passing to Sakura and Ino, occasionally to Temari, but why was it Tenten he always saw him with the most? It had to be more than the fact they used to be teammates.

While Tenten wasn't bad looking, Sakura had more to offer as far as prettiness, as did Ino. Temari was a stronger fighter, though not by much, Kankurou thought as he recalled several instances during past missions with a grimace. The way she fought was almost…primitive in its simplicity and grace. Obviously this had to factor into why Neji valued her company; of all the people he could train with, he always trained with her. The girl he'd seen kill men with her bare hands wore her hair in Chinese buns nearly every single time he'd ever seen her and was currently standing in a lake in water up to her neck, patient as a saint.

Gaara had tried to touch down again, losing his footing in the loose floor of the lakebed. Catching him before his head went under, Tenten sighed with relief. Her body was touching his and, unused to the physical contact, was as stiff as a board in her arms.

"Want to take a break?" she offered, hoping to diffuse his tension.

Gaara nodded.

Tenten didn't release him until she was certain his footing was sure. Kankurou knew that Gaara hated to be treated so carefully but also knew just how uncomfortable his brother was in water. It naturally worked against his sand and even as a small child, the most water he'd come in contact with was probably contained within a drinking glass. The sand would always clean the dirt from him, eliminating the need for baths or showers.

Gaara reached the shore quickly, looking back in confusion at Tenten. Still standing in the middle of the small lake, she was looking around her as if searching for something.

"You're staying in?" Gaara asked her. His tone betrayed the thought that he found her completely nuts for doing so.

Tenten smiled, one of those maddening smiles that was so guileless and sweet it made her look younger. "Yeah," she told him, waving off his concern. "I haven't gone swimming in ages…I forgot how good it feels. I guess I'm just a big fan of water."

Her face split in a huge grin, she fell back, sighing with pleasure as the cool water touched her skin. She floated on her back for a few moments before diving under and submerging her head.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" she called after she resurfaced. "You should come out here and swim. I won't laugh if you sink, I promise!"

"I'm fine, thank you," he sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "The lake's too far away."

"You don't know what you're missing!" Tenten said, shaking her head at his pure laziness. "How 'bout you, Temari?"

Scowling, the blonde shook her head. "I have no desire to swim in that lake like some kind of ridiculous duck."

Rolling her eyes, Tenten could tell by the venomless tone the girl wasn't really troubled. "Kankurou? How about you?"

"Yeah, why don't you go out there?" Shikamaru drawled, raising an eyebrow.

I'm sure you'll float a few seconds before she has to save you," Gaara said gravely.

Kankurou summoned his deadliest glare but said nothing.

"Come on, Kankurou," Tenten reasoned. "You're not even wearing your makeup today!"

"It's Kabuki paint!" Kankurou corrected. "And I'm not going in there."

"You're all so _boring_!" Tenten yelled. "I swear, if Naruto or Sakura were here they would have beat me into the water!"

"Does Naruto sink too?" Gaara asked curiously. "He doesn't seem like he'd be all that graceful in the water…because he certainly isn't very elegant on land."

"He swims like a fish," Tenten answered.

"That's been tossed out of water and is twitching on the ground," Shikamaru mumbled.

Tenten began swimming laps at a leisurely pace. Even Temari couldn't help but admire the fluid movements. The breaststroke was abandoned quickly in favor of the backstroke, she then began to switch back and forth between the two. An unfamiliar feeling of inferiority seized Temari.

"You're going to look like a prune if you don't get out of that water," Temari told the brunette sharply.

Sighing, Tenten realized no one was going to let her swim in peace or join her themselves, she swam towards shore. Pulling out her hair from the ponytail, she combed her fingers through it lightly. Trying not to pay attention, Kankurou pointedly glanced down, but looked up when he heard Shikamaru's voice.

"Tenten…why?" Shikamaru groaned weakly, rolling over and curling into a ball as the water droplets from Tenten's hair fell directly on his face. She continued to shake her hair, sending water all over the lazy ninja.

"Because you're sitting on my stuff, dummy," Tenten said with a shrug, pulling the towel he was laying on out from under his prone form. Shaking out the sand, she twisted it into a dangerously damp column of cloth. She snapped it after him a few times before wrapping it around herself. Taking a seat on her beach chair, she looked up at Gaara and smiled.

"Just tell me when you feel like getting in again," she said gently.

Mumbling an answer to the effect of an unenthused "sure," he fished around in his bag for his lunch.

Sighing contentedly, Tenten leaned back in her chair and looked over at Kankurou.

"Still sure you want to stay on land?" Tenten asked him with a wry grin.

Kankurou felt something shift in his chest at that damned sincere smile of hers. It was so innocent and kind when she wore it she almost looked like a simpleton. The sparkle in the eyes of every Sand shinobi had been stamped out after years of hardship; the desert was harsh and unforgiving. To see someone who'd lived a similarly difficult life of killing and fighting smile like that was more than unsettling, quite possibly because she actually meant it.

Of all the people Kankurou worked with, she was the exception. Temari, Gaara, Shikamaru and himself were all so similar—they were bored, disinterested, apathetic, and dispassionate. There wasn't a whole lot any of them looked forward to doing, save Shikamaru and his cloud watching. Tenten was always enthusiastic and cheerful without being over-the-top or annoying. She actually enjoyed training and interacting with others.

_The last thing I need to do is to fall in love with someone who can't fall in love with me_, Kankurou thought, before shaking his head no, he would not be joining her.


	3. Steps

**Steps**

By: Sonnie

Kankurou sighed. This really wasn't working. He was simply going to have to kill Shikamaru for suggesting that he masquerade as the male half of an engaged couple…_and_ for selecting the female half. It was because of _him_ that he was stuck here on an unusually temperate day in Suna, trapped indoors with the worst possible task: dancing lessons.

An elaborate mission to Mist, he and his partner needed to mix with the elite society there. Kankurou didn't see the point in such refinement, given that Mist was so poor. Also, why was it so important he had a girl on his arm? After all, he was representing Sand, which was the honest truth. Would they really think he wasn't a ninja if he showed up with a woman?

"For someone really good with your hands, you've got really untalented feet," Kankurou remarked to Tenten, who was currently glaring the equivalent of every weapon she ever threw. Pulling back in his arms, she purposefully ground the toe of her foot into Kankurou's shoe.

"If you don't stuff the comments, one of my _untalented_ feet is going to find your ass," Tenten said sharply.

"Yeah right," Kankurou brushed it off, though he secretly knew her taijutsu skills could mop the floor with him. "You know, for being so good at dancing in clubs you really don't have any skill with _real_ dancing."

"And why isn't it real dancing when I'm doing it at clubs?" Tenten asked.

"Because it's reckless, wild, and wanton," Kankurou said. "That kind of dancing is meant to entice others, which explains why every man in that club was staring at you. What you're trying to learn right now—pr_oper_ dancing—isn't meant to be a sexual spectacle."

"And why are you such an expert on this?" Tenten demanded.

"I'm an expert when it comes to the art of theatre and dance," Kankurou said proudly.

"And makeup," Tenten grumbled.

"It's Kabuki paint!" Kankurou snapped indignantly. "I shouldn't be accepting criticism from a girl who wears her hair in _buns_!"

"I don't do that anymore!" she snapped, wrenching out of his grasp. Glaring darkly at Kankurou for a moment, she frowned.

"What's wrong?" Kankurou asked, concerned.

"We're never going to get anything done if we just keep arguing," Tenten said quietly. "Truce?"

Kankurou hid his smile. "Truce."

They shook hands amiably, Tenten's grip very strong considering she had such small hands. Kankurou's, the large, elegant, skillful hands of a puppeteer, dwarfed hers in comparison. He drew his hand away, somewhat regretfully.

"Now…since your footwork is terrible, I think we should start with that," Kankurou said blithely, ignoring her indignant look. In step beside her, he began instruction on a simple box step. Thankfully, Tenten grasped this quickly, allowing him to move on to more advanced aspects.

"This isn't a battle," Kankurou reminded her. "Don't march like that…you need to step lightly and remember that you'll be wearing a dress."

Tenten blinked.

"You know, a dress?" Kankurou said, half-jokingly at the stricken look on her face. "They come in all different lengths…they have no inseam…"

"Why do I have to wear a dress?" Tenten asked him. Dressing up didn't particularly bother her unless there was an actual dress involved.

"It's not very often that women go ballroom dancing in pants," Kankurou muttered dryly. "You can get something nice and non-frilly; it just needs to cover your old ANBU tattoo."

Tenten absently rubbed her left bicep. After joining for a year, she decided to quit and become a regular jounin. She liked going on missions with Shikamaru, who was steadfastly against joining the organization.

To her surprise, he liked her on his team as well, citing her as the least troublesome kunoichi he knew. All things considered though, it wasn't too much of a compliment, seeing as how Ino and Temari were currently driving him towards insanity, urged on by Sakura and a less enthusiastic but no less unwavering Hinata.

"Can it be burgundy?" Tenten asked, smiling.

_Tomboy be damned, she's still a girl at heart_, Kankurou thought dimly.

"Yes, it can be burgundy," he sighed, shaking his head. "Can we get back to dancing now?"

"Of course," chirped Tenten, obviously pleased with his answer enough to overlook his rudeness.

Setting his shoulders, Kankurou prepared himself for an absolutely brutal afternoon.

**-O-**

Neji and Lee traveled the streets of the Sand village, the former eager to find his old teammate so she could hopefully negate the latter. Tenten was far more successful at diverting Lee's attention to more useful things, such as anything but himself. Neji felt his patience wearing thin.

"Are you sure this is where Shikamaru said she would be?" he asked Lee, who was currently weaving through the crowds a few steps ahead, gawking at everything like the indiscreet tourist he was.

"Yes!" Lee said, a strong affirmative followed by a pointed finger in the right direction. "In there!"

Neji wondered briefly if he was being punished for something he did in a past life. "Lee…do you think you could perhaps find a blacksmith?" he asked suddenly, hoping to rid himself of his teammate. "I need to find a replacement for my sword guard."

Inspecting the damaged weapon, Lee's eyes widened to even more comic proportions. "Someone was able to damage it?" he asked, his voice full of awe.

Neji blinked, quelling the urge to push Lee into the nearest well. "It was pure luck on their part. Do you think you could find a suitable blacksmith by sundown?"

Lee snatched the sword and gave him a salute before he disappeared in a green blur. Sighing in relief, Neji was glad he left his favorite sword back with Shikamaru and the others. Eyeing the old building that Lee had pointed out, he wondered skeptically why any two sane human beings would be inside.

The sound of Tenten's laughter drew him closer, the sound of another voice made him pause. A male voice, it was not very soft nor did it sound very patient. Footsteps scraped the ground, followed by some criticizing remarks from the male and a hushed chuckle from the woman he knew to be Tenten. Catching a glimpse of his former teammate, Neji paused in the doorway.

Tenten was spinning. Neji noted her footing wasn't very sound and was not surprised when she started to fall. She landed in the arms of a man with sand-colored hair, who lowered her to the ground gently as he knelt behind her, her shoulders landing in his lap.

Tenten was laughing, her brown eyes still wildly unfocused but her mood obviously good. Kankurou peered into her mirthful face with a frown, sandy hair hanging over his eyes.

Tenten's smile disappeared when she noticed his expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Kankurou averted his gaze but they darted back to her face when she reached up to brush the strands of hair out of his dark eyes. Grabbing her wrist, Tenten felt his fingers burn as they held her. She noticed just how close his face was from hers, how utterly romantic the whole situation was—they were dancing…she fell…he caught her…and—

"Tenten."

Snapping out of whatever stupor she was, Tenten rose to her feet, aided deftly by Kankurou who released her as soon as she was upright. Stepping back and turning away, he focused his attention on the walls.

"Neji!" Tenten said happily, face breaking into a smile. She rushed over to him but did embrace him; she had learned long ago he was not someone who liked to be touched. Looking at him with a puzzled expression, she cocked her head to the side.

"Where's Lee?" she asked.

"I sent him on an errand," Neji replied flatly.

"Oh," Tenten murmured.

"I need to report to Shikamaru," Neji said. It went unsaid that he expected her to follow him. It was just assumed she would. He turned to Kankurou. "You can come along if you'd like."

Kankurou visibly stiffened at the condescending words. He wasn't a little boy that could be bossed around by some arrogant, egotistical genius-ninja. Blinking, he felt a smirk slide in place as he took a risky gamble just to piss off Hyuuga.

Casually slipping his arm around Tenten's waist, he smiled to her. "You said you wanted something burgundy," he murmured softly, his lips very close to her ear. "I already have something in mind."

"Seriously?" Tenten asked Kankurou, all smiles.

Neji's eyes narrowed at how quickly Tenten's face lit up. Her head pressed against Kankurou's shoulder as she looked at him.

"Yeah," Kankurou said in a low voice.

"This is actually kind of exciting!" Tenten admitted. "I haven't done something like this before."

Kankurou nodded. Tenten's smile was infectious, just like her laughter, her good moods, her—

Tenten took Kankurou by surprise when she wrapped her arms around him. Temporarily taken aback, he relaxed enough to return the embrace, this time not out of spite towards Hyuuga but out of sheer pleasure. She felt good to hold, being as though she was so much smaller than him and just seemed to _fit_.

Oblivious the glare of Neji behind her, she slipped out of Kankurou's embrace, only to link arms with him. Together, they walked outside into the sunshine. Neji never realized how odd if felt to be the one following in _her_ steps.


	4. Bull's Eye

**Bull's Eye **

By: Sonnie

Gaara knew and heartily admitted that he was guilty of many wrongdoings, but wondered what he could have possibly done to warrant his current situation. A borderline passed out-drunk Shikamaru on his left (after many, many drinks the man still clung to consciousness) and (a still in his prime state of drunkenness) Lee on his right. The latter was currently twelve degrees beyond obnoxiously loud.

"Another toast!" Lee exclaimed grandly, tears in his eyes. "May the glorious springtime of youth never cease!"

Not caring (_or realizing_, Gaara thought drolly) that no one else joined his celebration; Lee threw the glass back and downed the alcohol.

_Forget the springtime of youth,_ Gaara thought warily, trying very hard to resist the nagging urge to push Lee into the nearest wall. _Why can't _you_ cease?_

Gaara sighed, realizing he could only blame himself for what had happened. Lee had gone straight for the saké and Gaara hadn't thought to stop him. By the time he cared enough to do something, it was far, far too late.

_I guess there are advantages to getting involved_, Gaara thought glumly, wishing fervently that he had acted sooner as he wrenched the saké bottle from Lee's hand. To his dismay, the green-clad ninja merely picked up another, fuller bottle at the other end of the table.

Gaara heard the door open, vaguely hoping it was Naruto coming to put him out of his misery. It was Tenten, having just arrived at the bar. She was flanked by Temari and Kankurou.

"Wow…the famous Nara constitution finally defeated?" a voice behind him said, giving the half-unconscious man a poke.

"He's had quite a few," Gaara noted, not even turning to face Tenten. "I've lost count."

"Oi!" Temari yelled cheerfully, less than two inches from Shikamaru's ear. "Lazy bum, wake up! You need to wake up because I'm not dragging your skinny ass home."

"You could probably carry him," Kankurou mused, ducking just in the nick of time to avoid one of Lee's wildly swinging arms.

"But that would be _so troublesome_," Temari yelled, smiling maliciously as Shikamaru lifted his hands to cover his ears, an attempt in vain to block out the noise. Wincing as Lee crashed into something a few feet away, Shikamaru groaned.

"Someone needs to put a stop to him," Shikamaru warned, glancing over at Lee. "If you think he's bad now, a give him a minute and he'll be a nightmare."

Temari snorted. Her skepticism was cut short when one of Lee's elbows hit the table next to her arm, cracking it in half.

"And how do we go about doing that?" Kankurou demanded, eyeing Lee's meandering form carefully. It wasn't a pretty sight, watching the dark-haired man stumble through the establishment. Cheeks quite rosy, the dazed expression he wore did nothing to alleviate the fears of those around him. Wisely, everyone gave him a wide berth by either moving away or fleeing the scene. Gaara was thankful the furniture in Lee's immediate area was sparse.

"How did you end this last time?" Shikamaru turned to Tenten, who smiled sheepishly.

"Uh…I sort of let Neji and Gai-sensei handle it," she murmured, eyes darting to where Lee was spilling saké all over the floor. "He broke a table and about a month's pay worth of plates. He also managed to punch Neji in the eye."

Kankurou winced. No doubt, Hyuuga would have been _pissed_. He knew Lee was a competent fighter, but Neji was a master of defense.

_For Lee to be able to get past him…_

"Well, you're the one who's had the most experience with this," Gaara said, _this_ meaning _him_. "You fix it."

Blinking, Tenten realized he was completely serious. "Fine," she sighed, submitting herself to the task. Approaching Lee with her hands raised defensively, she stopped about three feet away from him.

"Lee…why don't you hand me the bottle?" she asked gently, beckoning with one hand.

"Noooo," Lee slurred belligerently, yanking the bottle away from her. "S'mine."

Tenten blinked. "Lee, can I please have the bottle?" she asked again. When he ignored her, she made a swipe for it, unfortunately coming up empty-handed.

"It's miiiiiine!" Lee yelled. A slow grin split his face. "Unless…you wanna fight me for it!"

Tenten ducked his swinging arm, eyes wide when she noticed Lee's fist had gone right through the wooden panel of the wall. Rolling out of the way of a kick, she successfully blocked the next, only to have the force knock her into a table.

_The sad thing is, he's holding back_, Tenten thought dismally.

"Shouldn't someone help her?" Shikamaru suggested airily, only to end up with three pairs of eyes glaring at him intently.

"Aren't _you_ going to?" Temari demanded. "She's your teammate!"

"Yeah…" Shikamaru drawled. "But she's all the way over there…"

"Moron, help her!" Temari hissed, smacking his head.

"Owwww…" the dark-haired ninja groaned, hands weakly trembling as he cradled his skull lovingly. He forced his bleary eyes to watch as Lee played keep away with his saké bottle, much to the girl's dismay.

"Throw something at him," Kankurou suggested, wincing as a plate when hit the wall by his head, thrown into the air by Lee when he stumbled backwards into a table. He'd been trying to approach but wasn't terribly familiar with Lee's fighting style. His taijutsu skills were worthless, anyway.

"I don't want to _hurt_ him!" Tenten said, managing to block one of his swinging arms and dish out an uppercut with her own.

Yelling, Lee charged after her, saké bottle abandoned. Tackling her, a startled Tenten tilted backwards. She swore out loud when she felt her back crack against the stair she fell on, hoping desperately it wasn't too bad. Expecting a renewed attack, she moved her arms to push Lee off, only to exhale sharply under a mass of dead weight.

"Are you injured?" Gaara asked gravely, a shattered saké bottle in his hand.

"A little extreme, weren't you?" Tenten asked, ignoring his question. She painfully rolled Lee's unconscious body off her and checked his vitals.

"_He's_ a little extreme," Gaara said simply, tossing the bottle on the ground. Smirking, he looked down. "But it was quite satisfying."

Sighing, Tenten stood. "I'd better go smooth things over with the owner," she said, sighing tiredly. She winced as she brushed fragments of glass from her back.

"You're paying for all this?" Temari asked her skeptically.

Tenten smiled. "No…Gai-sensei is." Laughing maniacally at this revealed bit of information, she walked over to the barkeeper, her hand rubbing at her injury.

**-O-**

Tenten was lazily throwing darts at the dilapidated board that was hanging onto the wall by a nail so rusty it looked orange. Grinding her teeth at the pain in her lower back, she flung the projectiles with a bit more force than necessary. Ignoring the stares of the people in awe of her perfect aim, she slammed her fist on the table after the last dart embedded itself in the board, not quite a bull's eye.

"How the hell is that idiot ever going to be Hokage if he's so damned late?" she growled, glaring at her missed aim before focusing on the clock above the door. She walked over and wrenched out the misguided dart. "The whole mess with Lee happened because he was supposed to be here over two hours ago."

"Maybe he's taking after his sensei," suggested Shikamaru, still looking bad but an improvement from before. His double vision was gone but his head kept ringing incessantly, usually brought on by a confrontation with Temari.

Tenten glared at the dartboard, prepared to let it loose again as the door swung open, slamming into the wall. Naruto burst through, followed by Neji and Hinata. The older Hyuuga looked less than pleased, and Hinata looked more than nervous.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling brightly. It dimmed a bit when he noticed the hard stares of several sets of eyes. "What's wrong?"

"This," Gaara moved back in his chair, revealing Lees in the next. He jerked his head sharply in the unconscious nin's direction.

"What happened?" Hinata asked worriedly, watching Lee's body slide right off the chair and hit the ground.

"He had too much to drink," Tenten said dismissively. She really didn't need Neji killing Lee because he'd hurt her in a drunken stupor. She really couldn't see Gai-sensei paying for the damages that way. She eased herself slowly off her chair, then realized it hurt just as much to stand.

"How did you stop him?" Neji asked.

"Tenten distracted him for a bit and Gaara broke a saké bottle over his head," Kankurou related calmly.

"Distracted him?" Hinata asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, she did the hard work while lazy bones here just sat back and watched the show," Temari said pointedly to Shikamaru.

"Can you please keep your voice down?" he wailed helplessly. "Besides, I didn't see any of you lift a finger."

"Actually, he did," Gaara contradicted, pointing to Kankurou. His green eyes were fixed on Tenten. "We should have met somewhere else. This was a bad idea."

Tenten waved a hand dismissively. "But since we're all here, let's just get this meeting over with," she suggested.

Agreeing with this, Naruto and Shikamaru drew up their plan, the former being of a lot more help than the latter. Despite listening to every word they said, Neji felt his eyes drift back to Tenten, who was frowning as her hand rubbed her lower back.

As Naruto rummaged through his belongings to find a map, Tenten felt rather than saw Kankurou come up next to her.

"You probably should have done this awhile ago," he muttered, handing her a pack of ice. "It's probably too late to stop the swelling, but it will still help."

Tenten smiled her thanks and Neji saw that her eyes follow his back as he returned to his sister's side. He'd noticed she was in pain but didn't know the whole story. Frowning, he looked back at Tenten.

Neji wasn't sure why he felt uncomfortable with what happened. Kankurou had just handed his former teammate an icepack…he was _helping_ her. It wasn't in the slightest bit sexual…he hadn't even _touched_ her. But there had been a sincere twinkle in his eyes and she had lifted the corners of her mouth as if something had passed between. It was something completely unfamiliar to him. Words couldn't capture the touches of comfort and ease and concern and kindness…

Neji felt everyone's eyes on him. Thankfully he had been halfway listening to Naruto and was able to answer the question easily without missing a beat, but felt a flash of irritation that he had allowed his thoughts to wander. Though the mission was just an escort (and everyone in town knew about the businessman's journey since he wasn't known for his discretion), he had paid for a lot of jounins. Tsunade hadn't been thrilled but didn't have a choice.

"It doesn't help that everyone within Fire Country knows he's taking a sabbatical," Naruto grumbled.

"It also doesn't help that he has a large family he's insistent on carting with him," Shikamaru said, frowning. "I've been researching a bit and ever since his wife died, he's seemingly replaced her with a large amount of servants as well as a governess. Guarding this little entourage is going to be a nightmare. The idiot wants to take twelve people."

Tenten sighed, the trickle of icy water running down her back from the icepack just about the only thing going for her. It was going to be the mission from hell and they only had two days to prepare everything—their client was obsessed with paperwork and contingency plans. Thankfully, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Neji were taking care of all that. But the mission itself would be basically babysitting a bunch of spoiled little brats…Tenten scowled. This was a very bad day.

"Tenten."

She jumped at the gravelly voice that uttered her name as gently as it probably could. "Let Hinata have a look at your back," Gaara told her. "We can take care of this."

Tenten was about to protest but realized it was useless. She knew he was about as concerned as he was ever going to show and was actually touched he said anything at all. Acquiescing, she allowed the Hyuuga woman to pull her aside and lead her to the restroom. Dropping the bag of ice in the sink, she pulled up her shirt in the back.

"Oh my," Hinata gasped, colorless eyes wide as they surveyed the bruises.

Glancing behind her in the mirror, Tenten felt like she was going to be sick. Even though it hadn't broken the skin, the shards of glass and ceramic from the broken table wear had scored her back, leaving many angry, crimson lines crisscrossing over a mass of yellow-purple bruises.

She held her breath as Hinata began to carefully survey the damage, not quite touching her as she ran her fingertips over her lower back. She felt the healing energy and knew that even though some of the damage was mending, it would still look and feel really bad for at least a few weeks. Tenten lost track of time counting the tiles in the ceiling, coming up with a different number every time.

"The damage isn't permanent," Hinata said finally, eyes fixed doubtfully on her back. "But I think you have a hairline fraction. It would probably be best if you didn't go on the mission."

Tenten whirled around, eyes squeezed shut when she accidentally bumped into Hinata's arm in her haste.

"You can't heal it all?" she asked helplessly, already knowing the answer. Her wallet was getting quite thin and she was getting restless.

"I've healed some of the damage, yes," Hinata said fretfully. "But you really need to rest your back. I'm sorry, Tenten, but that's—"

"Yo, what's taking so—holy shit, that's gotta hurt like a son of a bitch," Temari finished, her face a mixture of disgust and pity. "He really got you good."

Tenten felt a surge of anger. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Unfazed, Temari shrugged. "Well, it _is_ the girls' bathroom," she trailed off. "But those guys sent me to check on you because you took so long. I think they were expecting an in-out kind of thing."

"Yeah, so was I," Tenten replied unenthusiastically.

Temari turned to Hinata. "Can she go on the mission like that?" she asked, pointing.

Hinata looked down, her fingertips meeting in that classic nervous gesture of hers. Tenten felt her hope melting away.

"I—I wouldn't recommend it," Hinata said truthfully, shying away from Tenten. "But if she really wants to, I can't stop her."

"Huh," Temari grunted, surveying the damage critically. "Well, since Hinata-san is the medical expert and she thinks you really shouldn't, you need to at least tell Shikamaru and the others and see what they think."

Tenten exhaled sharply, pulling down her shirt. "I'm an adult, Temari," she said in a low voice. "I can make my own decisions about whether or not I'm capable of going on a mission or not."

"It's not a matter of what you think, it's a matter of what the leader thinks," Temari corrected icily. "And if they don't _want_ you, you're stuck with their choice."

Tenten stormed from the bathroom with a stony expression, stopping at the table next to Shikamaru. Temari threw open the door and followed calmly, trailed by an extremely anxious Hinata. Staring straight ahead and ignoring them both, Tenten took a deep breath.

"Hinata doesn't think me fit to go on this mission," she said, voice tight. "But she healed me and if I get proper rest I know I'll be more than up to it."

"Is it that bad?" Shikamaru asked her, his expression dead serious. He could see how angry she was; Tenten was not someone who succumbed to that very quickly. He was concerned and to see that emotion all over her calm leader's face just made her angrier.

Biting her lip, Tenten lifted up the back of her shirt, showing about four inches of skin. Turning around in time to catch the slight grimace Shikamaru allowed himself, she crossed her arms irately after yanking the fabric back down.

"How bad is the damage, Hinata?" he asked the med-nin. Biting her lip for a completely different reason then Tenten, she fiddled with her sleeve shyly.

"She's got a small fracture," Hinata confirmed. "But I healed it. Still…the bone is tender. She'll make a full recovery but not in time for the mission. I don't want her risking something more serious." Pausing, she looked at the unreadable expression on Tenten's face. "I'm sorry."

Tenten shook her head, determined not to take her anger out on Hinata. "Don't worry about it," she said quietly. She looked at Shikamaru, whose face had guilt written all over it.

"Tenten, I—" Shikamaru began tightly.

"Forget it, I already know what you're going to say," she whispered. "I'll get my things and head back."

Scooping up her bag, she wisely held it by her hip instead of customarily slinging it over her shoulder. The feel of everyone's eyes on her made her so incredibly angry that she picked up the dart she retrieved earlier and flung it at the board. The door shut, not quite a slam but her feelings were no secret. No one said anything for a moment until Kankurou's whisper broke the silence.

"Bull's eye."


	5. Peripheral

**Peripheral **

By: Sonnie

Neji wondered how Shikamaru still stayed sane if he had _two_ women to think about. Tenten was enough, taking his mind in many directions he thought his mind ought not to be going. Just as he had once believed in destiny, he had also denied the existence of love. In his mind, the two were at odds with each other, and, after accepting that fate wasn't real, wondered if love really did exist.

No one in his family showed love for anyone else…the rigid, formal behavior spoke volumes of what was appropriate and what wasn't. To overhear Tenten's father yelling "I love you!" after her when she ran off to class sounded oddly foreign, yet it was something he knew that many typical families did. She received more affection from that one man with those three words than he'd ever gotten from his entire family.

_But our families are different_, he reasoned. _She doesn't even have a family name…and even her first means "here and there"…like her entire being is made up of flying weapons and fleeting glances and sweet smiles as she dances through existence. If I am a caged bird, then she is everything outside that cage…_

Neji frowned when laughter interrupted his thoughts, the gentle sound having quite a jarring effect. He didn't need to activate Byakugan to know that Tenten was close by. From the low tones of the voice accompanying her, he figured she was with Shikamaru.

"You're going to have to choose between one of them sooner or later," Tenten told the younger ninja with a faint touch of disapproval. "You can't have them both."

"Can't I?" Shikamaru asked, but his voice was far from conceited. In fact, he sounded absolutely miserable.

"You sound like your world is coming to an end," Tenten commented.

"It is!" he wailed. "One of those girls is going to kill me, I swear!"

Neji could hear the laughter in Tenten's voice. "Then guess you have to pick the right one."

"Ugh, this is so troublesome," Shikamaru sighed disgustedly.

"Who would have guessed out of all those pretty boys…the least prettiest one would be the lady killer?" Tenten said, winking. "You've got prospects for miles."

Shikamaru eyed her. "And you don't?" he asked.

"Where?" Tenten asked, gesturing around her broadly. "I don't see any."

"Trust me, they're there," Shikamaru grumbled. "For one, Makeup Man is even more brooding than usual, and I doubt its something in the water."

"It's Kabuki paint!" Tenten said automatically. Clapping a hand over her mouth when she realized what she said, she laughed. "Now he's got _me_ saying it _too_. I've been spending so much time with him we're starting to think alike."

Shikamaru gave her an unreadable look. The statement was casual but he knew she had said it more to convince herself than him. "What about Neji?"

"What about him?" Tenten said dismissively, but her eyes said a different story. Glancing down at the kunai in her hand, she flung it at a knot in the tree. It landed a centimeter from dead center.

"Tenten," Shikamaru growled, his tone warning her he wouldn't let it slide.

"It's not like we're the same," Tenten murmured softly. "I mean, Neji doesn't feel anything for me and you've got two rather strong-willed young ladies ready to duke it out for a piece of you."

"Don't remind me," groaned Shikamaru. "I finally understand why Sakura complains about getting her ass felt up so much by strangers. It's really embarrassing!"

"Temari's quite bold," Tenten commented with a smile. "And Ino turned bright red when she pulled that stunt in the market. I swear she made an old woman faint."

"I just want to be left alone," Shikamaru wailed. "At least I don't have to worry about trying to keep _your_ hands off me."

Tenten smiled, waving her arms at him threatening as she advanced. "Oh, Shikamaru!" she cried, attempting to smother him in a dramatic embrace. "You're so sexy! Your scrawny little body turns me on! I just adore how you won't get off your lazy ass and do _anything_ for me! I think it's so interesting that you sit around playing old man games with instructors! I love you, Shikamaru! Pick me! Pick me! Pick _me_!"

Shikamaru swatted her arms away, a small smile on his lips despite his dismay. "It's not that funny, Tenten," he said uselessly as he fended of her 'attacks.' "They're making my life H-E-L-L. And by the way, I'm not _that_ scrawny."

"Right," Tenten snorted, eyeing him skeptically. "I think Temari weighs as much as you." Smirking, she continued. "But just think about that if you turn her down…She could take you down in one swing!"

Shikamaru glared at her but his expression was void of venom. "At least the guys interested in you keep their hands to themselves…" Shikamaru trailed off, remembering a few past instances. He grinned before continuing, "…when they're smart."

"But some of them are really, really stupid," Tenten reminded him with a sad shake of her head.

"Yet they all pay for it in the end," Shikamaru finished gracefully. "But maybe a broken nose is too much."

"I gave him a warning," Tenten muttered. "But it's not like I get any worthwhile attention. No one likes me, Shikamaru!"

He smiled at her mock tragic tone yet knew there was a certain amount of truth in her words.

"I don't need you being the female equivalent of Sasuke," Shikamaru reminded her. "It's better for _me_ that way."

"And why's that?" Tenten challenged gruffly, but laughed at just how rude his statement was.

"You're not always thinking about ways to captivate men's interest," Shikamaru said distantly, obviously remembering one of Ino or Temari's stunts.

"It's not that I want them to fight over me like they do with Sakura or Hinata," Tenten began, "but that isn't ever going to happen. Sometimes male attention is nice. I like feeling like a woman, believe it or not. Everyone seems to think that the slightest feminine tendencies are weaknesses."

"You're right, and it's quite unfair," Shikamaru said. "It's probably why Temari has such a tough skin; she doesn't and can't afford to be perceived as weak."

"Neji and Lee always made me feel weak when I wanted to act like a woman," Tenten said. "But Kankurou doesn't make me feel like that. He makes me feel attractive. I'm not really used to that but it's sort of…satisfying. That doesn't make me bad, does it?"

Shikamaru snorted. "You're seeking vindication of your gender," he said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Tenten nodded listlessly. She was leaning against a tree with a look that Neji would nauseatingly call dreamy. Staring up at where the forest canopy scattered light, she smiled and sighed.

"You know what?" Tenten whispered, a little gleam in her eye.

"…What?" Shikamaru was a tad weirded out…she could be silly sometimes, yes, but he'd never seen her act like Ino or Sakura and this was coming dangerously close to what he deemed as Sasuke-worship type behavior.

"Actually…someone _does_ like me," Tenten giggled, the noise causing Neji to frown. "And it's just so wonderful that I don't believe it's really happening. It hasn't sunk in yet."

"And what makes this romance so wonderful?" Shikamaru asked her, raising a slender eyebrow. "What's he like?"

"Well," Tenten said proudly, straightening up. "He's about this tall." Demonstrating, she raised the flat palm of her hand about six inches above her head. "And he has really soft, silky hair." She smiled as another giggle escaped. "And he has such a nice voice when he speaks, which really isn't all that much but I always find myself looking forward to it."

Neji's brain was currently befuddled. It could literally be any man; if she hadn't used a gender specific pronoun it could have technically been any _woman_.

"And last night we went into the woods and he serenaded me with his violin," Tenten's cheeks were bright red and her giggling wouldn't subside. Shikamaru looked mildly alarmed at her reaction.

"What song?" he asked curiously.

_What man?_ Neji wondered furiously.

"_Meditation from Thais_," Tenten said with a gentle smile. "It's one of my favorites, actually. He must have asked one of the girls, because I don't think any of the guys other than you knows I listen to classical music. It would destroy my reputation."

"This infernal giggling would destroy your reputation," Shikamaru told her thornily, scowling when she mussed his hair affectionately.

"But you won't tell anyone," Tenten said shrewdly. "Or I'll tell them all why Ino nearly killed you two weeks ago."

"It wasn't my fault!" Shikamaru wailed. "Temari threw a bra in with my stuff and Ino just happened to volunteer to help me unpack."

"It was quite a racy one, if I remember your account correctly," Tenten teased.

"I like black underwear," Shikamaru said stiffly. "And yes, lace helps."

"Now did Temari know this already from experience or was it just a lucky guess?" Tenten asked him coyly, laughing at the dark glare he gave her.

"I think you should tell me who your admirer is," Shikamaru said.

"You don't even care," Tenten told him flat out. "You just want some information to blackmail me with."

Shikamaru blinked. "Actually, yeah," he said, shrugging. Smiling, he watched her carefully. "I just hope it's not Kabuki Man. If he's head-over-heels enough to serenade you then we're all in trouble. The last thing I need to deal with is _two_ love-stricken shinobis. I don't need you suddenly becoming troublesome because so far you're the only female remotely on my side."

"Honestly, Shikamaru, it's not a war," Tenten muttered. "But I'd never presume to tell you who to pick."

"I'd never tell you to pick between Neji and this new guy," Shikamaru said simply. "And I _know_ it's Kankurou."

Ignoring him, Tenten pressed on. "I don't have the right to make a choice like that considering Neji hasn't acknowledged my existence beyond that of a teammate," Tenten said, her tone sorrowful. "There are stronger, more beautiful girls out there…maybe that's what he wants. At any rate, he hasn't ever treated me like a woman."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't know how," he offered half-heartedly. "I doubt it's personal."

Tenten sighed, burying her head in her hands, good mood having completely evaporated. "What do I do, Shikamaru?" she asked him. Her voice raw and her eyes pained, she was genuinely conflicted. "It's all so new and wonderful and I'm afraid I'll close my eyes and it'll all disappear. Or I worry that I'll wake up having imagined it all. Ninjas aren't meant to fall in love, are we? I mean, I could die or he could die…I'm worried about it and we're not even serious. Is it wrong to want something like that? Something beautiful and fleeting and delicate?"

Shikamaru looked at her silently for a moment. "No, it's not wrong at all," he said quietly. "I don't honestly know what to say. You like to fight more than I like to lead, but we're both equally good at what we do. I lead because I'm a strategist and I want to protect my friends. You fight because it makes you feel alive…and being in love is affirmation of your desire to feel that way."

"God, all this rhetorical _nonsense_," Tenten hissed, frustrated. Throwing herself backwards, she landed flat on her back. The blowing trees scattered the light so it danced across her face. "Why does one guy have to like me and the other one hate me?"

"Tenten," Shikamaru said seriously, "I don't think Neji hates you. Granted, he's not much of a talker…or even a listener as far as I know…but that's what makes Neji…well, Neji. Kankurou is a puppeteer and a Kabuki actor…his entire existence revolves around self-expression. I hate to sound negative, but unless Neji has an attitude adjustment he's never going to be able to give you the same kind of consideration that Kankurou does. If Neji does turn his attention on you, it won't manifest itself in all those romantic ways you think you might want."

Tenten's head turned to look at him, her ponytail swishing. "Why do you have to be so damned logical?" she asked him tiredly.

"To make women angry," he said, absolutely serious. "I'm not good at comforting people, Tenten, and you know that. You talk to me because you want honesty."

Tenten looked thoughtful. "That's true," she sighed. "But if Neji felt anything at all…I mean, how could he not say anything?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "That's something you'd have to discuss with Neji," he said simply, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Anyway, I gotta head back. You coming along?"

Tenten shook her head, closing her eyes against the sunlight. "I'll be back later," she said softly.

"Just be careful," Shikamaru advised. "Even though we're in the woods right outside Konoha it's still dangerous."

"Yes, _mother_," she grumbled.

Shikamaru turned to leave, but paused. Walking back over to her, he knelt beside her with a very serious expression on her face.

"Can I ask you something, Tenten?" he inquired quietly.

"Sure," Tenten said, wondering what on earth he was going to ask that made him so serious.

"…Is Kankurou any good on the violin?"

"Idiot, get back to Konoha!" Tenten yelled, giving him a good shove considering she was laying on the ground.

Laughing, Shikamaru climbed to his feet in an effort to avoid her wrath. "Sorry, sorry," he told her, his smile very clearly indicating he wasn't sorry at all. Or in Tenten's mind, not sorry enough, at least not yet.

Shikamaru waved to her as he walked away, stopped only when Tenten called his name.

"Hey, Shikamaru," she said, a smile in her voice.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around, hands in his pockets.

"He's quite talented," she said, giving him a firm nod. "Just don't tell Temari. She won't let him live it down."

Shikmaru nodded in response as he walked off.

_Women_.

**-O-**

Neji watched silently as Tenten continued to lay on the forest floor, fiddling idly with one of her weapons. Having already memorized them so well over the years she wasn't chancing accidentally injury, even though the way she handled it was careless. Staring up once again at the sky, she began to hum mindlessly, not caring how much she didn't seem like a ninja. She was almost nineteen years old but hadn't ever really felt like an awkward teenage girl.

_Isn't funny how I get to feel like one now?_ Tenten thought wryly, glancing down at the gleaming metal edge of the kunai. She very carefully drew the tip along the pad of her index finger, drawing a tiny drop of blood.

"My love is like a red, red rose," she murmured.

"That's newly sprung in June," Neji finished, causing Tenten to reflexively hurl the kunai at him. Plucking it out the air with cool precision, he dropped his arm at his side.

"Neji, it isn't polite to sneak up on people," Tenten scolded, angrier with herself for not noticing him.

"You're a ninja, Tenten, I'm not supposed to be able to sneak up on you," Neji said superiorly.

Wincing at the truth, Tenten crossed her arms across her chest, turning her head away from him pointedly. "I didn't know you read poetry."

"I don't," Neji told her truthfully. "I just remember Lee sprouting it one day about Sakura, although he was trying to insert the color green in the second stanza."

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Tenten turned her head back to him. "That really, really wouldn't work," she said.

Neji smirked. "It didn't stop him from trying," he said.

"Nothing ever does," Tenten muttered fondly. She knew it would be polite to be standing or at least sitting up to talk, but her limbs seemed drained of energy and her mind seemed drained of reason.

"So…how well does Kankurou play the violin, really?" Neji asked her suddenly.

Tenten inhaled sharply. He must have heard everything…

"I meant what I said," Tenten told him in a hard voice. "He's very good."

"Oh really?" Neji drawled, dropping her kunai beside her where she snatched it up.

"Yes!" Tenten said sharply. Her expression softened as she remembered it. "He plays so perfectly…the melodies are sweet but he shows admirable restraint—nothing too sappy or sentimental to mar how lovely the notes already are. But it's so elegant the way he plays…he romances every tune and cherishes it…"

Unsettled by her lush descriptions, Neji wondered briefly if this was the cliché moment where he'd seen his teammate as more than a comrade. It wasn't one of those stories where he'd accidentally seen her bathing or when he'd caught her doing something embarrassingly girly, but it was in relaying a simple description where he'd seen a different side to her. How many ninjas were still able to find poetry in the world when they'd killed and watch others die?

Neji remembered the year Tenten had spent as an ANBU. She had been very skilled, yes. But after returning from each mission she'd seemed a bit off. Not hysterical over the gruesome nature of the job nor harshly cynical, but only the slightest bit distant when he caught her unaware. She had been a bit of a daydreamer when she was younger and apparently that hadn't gone away. But her eyes were different when he caught her staring off into space.

When Tenten announced she was leaving ANBU, he had been relieved. Despite her skills he knew the ANBU captain had secretly been relieved as well. Not that Tenten was in any way unreliable, it was just that she wasn't showing any outward signs that she was bothered by what she was doing. For someone like her to be that stoic…Neji wasn't sure he wanted to know what happened.

"Neji, are you okay?" Tenten asked him concernedly.

"I'm fine," he told her, his expression unreadable. He looked through the trees to where Konoha could be glimpsed in the distance. "I'm going home. You should head back soon, too."

"You're not jealous, are you?" Tenten asked after him playfully, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Neji looked back, pausing. "Why would I be?" he asked her puzzledly, frowning before his steps resumed.

Watching him walk away, Tenten sighed tiredly, rolling over on her stomach before pushing herself up to her feet.

"Yeah…why would you be?" she whispered, letting her kunai drop from her fingers.


	6. Prized

**Prized**

By: Sonnie

Gaara wondered vaguely why it was always his job to baby-sit Lee, a nineteen year old who was, for all intents and purposes, an _adult_. Well, ostensibly, anyway. Learning his lesson from past catastrophes, he had wisely kept the green-clad ninja from imbibing anything alcoholic, though he was wondering whether or not it would be considered irresponsible if _he_ downed an unhealthy amount in an attempt to block out Lee's incessant chatter.

Gaara's green eyes flickered to where Tenten and Neji were buying dango. He corrected his statement to where Tenten was buying dango and Neji was watching her impassively. Gaara briefly considered dropping Lee off with them but decided Tenten wouldn't be too pleased and find some way to make their next swimming lesson nothing short of pure torture. The thought of treading water for an hour made him turn on his heel in the opposite direction.

_This guy needs a leash_, Gaara thought grumpily as Lee darted through the crowds like a five-year old. The demon in him was tempted to crush his limbs again just so the damned idiot would stop _moving_ so much.

Every time Lee came into contact with Gaara, he went out of his way to be friendly. Taken aback and slightly freaked out, Gaara would usually numbly agree to things without really thinking of the implications. Apparently, this gave the illusion that they were close friends so Shikamaru or Tenten would often tell the two of them to go on missions together, completely oblivious to the fact one wanted very much to cause the other bodily harm.

"Oh my god!" Lee yelled, causing his companion to cover his ears and nearly hiss in pain.

"I'm standing right here, you don't need to yell," Gaara said scathingly.

Ignoring the lethal tone, Lee ran right up to the booth that he'd been pointing to gleefully. Flying onto the stool, he spun a few times before slamming his hands on the table and leaning forward. Gaara knew he had no choice but to follow. Tenten's stipulations were "Lee has fun," "Lee remain sober" and "Lee stays alive."

Scowling at the last one, Gaara remembered his sole command was "don't kill anybody." He sat down next to Lee and wondered what was so fascinating about this booth.

_Of course_, Gaara muttered drolly to himself, watching Lee's elbow hit the table top as his palm pressed into his opponent's forcefully. The other man was wretchedly thin, which Gaara found odd considering what his station was offering.

_Arm wrestling. How…_befitting_ of Lee._

The comical seriousness of Lee's face and his opponent's was too much to take and remain serious and Gaara felt a sardonic grin begin to twist his features.

The man behind the counter won the first match and Lee had to pay up, the same for the second, third, fourth, and fifth. Sitting down for his sixth, Gaara noted the man was sweating profusely considering the sun was no longer out. He'd periodically take quick gulps from a small flask between matches and there was something off about his mysterious wins. Gaara, determined to figure it out so Lee wouldn't be whining about losing all his money, decided that he would take the initiative. He stood abruptly.

"Gaara!" gasped Lee, attempting to speak while desperately holding his own. "Where are you going?"

"Just around to the other side," he replied absently, moving away from the two competitors.

"But you'll miss my glorious victory!" Lee bit out, bicep bulging. Despite his very odd appearance, he was attracting quite a few spectators. There were even a few girls in awe of his muscles.

_Well, if you're into that_, Gaara conceded drolly as a group of girls giggled and pointed at his arms. _I guess there's good taste, bad taste, and_ no _taste…_

Gaara smiled gravely when he finally got a good look at the container the man was drinking from. It was a bottle of strength-enhancing potion, made exclusively from the plants found in Sand's incredible greenhouse.

"I will not let my eternal youth be conquered!" Lee proclaimed, slapping more money on the counter before plopping himself on his chair with vigor. "I must win!"

"Idiot," Gaara told him coldly. "He's cheating. He's been drinking a strength enhancer this whole time and was idiotic enough to keep it in the bottle it was bought in."

"You would dare to use such dishonest means to beat an honorable warrior such as myself?" Lee demanded indignantly, staring in shock at the man. He swiftly avoided the skinny vendor when he suddenly drew his hidden sword.

Gaara wished briefly that he hadn't been told rather firmly that killing anyone tonight wouldn't be in his best interest. Lee was going to make such a mess…

"Just give him his money back before he causes a scene," Gaara told the skinny man simply, shaking his head at the crowd that was gathering.

"Shut up," the man spat. "I'm leaving with _my_ money."

"That money is not yours!" Lee proclaimed. "It is mine, the proud green beast of Konoha, as well as everyone else's in this beautiful town!"

Gaara sighed. The skinny man snickered. Lee charged.

Gaara winced. The skinny man slumped over. Lee grinned.

"Yoooosh!" he exclaimed proudly, assuming the nice guy pose for his audience. People were clapping and Lee was posturing and Gaara was trying very hard not to roll his eyes too much, failing miserably. Lee took the money the man had dishonestly collected over the course of the evening and to the crowd's delight and awe, threw it to them joyfully.

"If you're done making a spectacle of yourself, could we please move on?" Gaara managed as patiently as he could, trying not to frown as small children brushed past him to gather the scattered coins.

"I see that you are not one to bask in the glory of your partner's achievements," Lee said gamely, patting him on the back. The redhead stiffened at the contact, unaccustomed to anyone voluntarily touching him. "That is good of you, but I would not have known if it weren't for you! Come, let's find some more entertainment!"

Gaara was thanking whatever lucky stars he might possibly have that Lee was a gentleman and not a pervert. He knew if he were with Naruto he'd be either spying on women by now or nursing the blond through a well-deserved concussion. Allowing himself to be pulled along out of sheer apathy, he found himself standing in front of a caricaturist.

"You can go first!" Lee declared, shoving Gaara at the chair good-naturedly. The man sat down unceremoniously and glared at the artist, who was completely unaffected by his somber face. Unable to keep his eyes from wandering to all the movement around him as he was trained to focus on, he found himself rather restless and uncomfortable.

"Stop moving so much," the woman chastised in a singsong voice, causing Gaara to bristle. _What was it Tenten said about not killing…?_

"It's turning out marvelously!" Lee assured Gaara, who was standing behind the artist's back and peering over her shoulder. She shooed him away with her pen, only to have him return like a persistent honeybee.

_Or dumb green beast_, Gaara thought with a grim smile.

"Your essence has been perfectly captured!" Lee proclaimed, grabbing the just-finished drawing from the hands of the sketch artist. To stop her protest, Gaara quickly dug some coins out to placate her.

Studying the picture in Lee's hands, Gaara realized he looked absolutely deranged; the black circles around his eyes nearly swallowed the rest of his features and his smile looked nothing short of pure evil. It wasn't the kind of thing he'd ever feel comfortably putting on display.

"Do you think I should have my stunning visage recreated as well?" Lee asked loudly.

_He already looks like a walking, talking caricature_, Gaara thought dimly. "Do what you like."

"Oh my!" Lee exclaimed, pointing to another booth. Sighing, Gaara followed the ninja solemnly. When he saw an enormous dartboard, he sighed.

"You aren't Tenten, Lee," Gaara said tiredly.

_And if you were, I'd be able to count my homicidal urges on just one hand instead of six..._

"But I've been practicing!" he protested, digging in his slim wallet. Tipping it over above his head, he dug around for the coins lodged in the corners, causing Gaara's impatience to spike.

"Here," he said curtly, slapping down some money on the counter. He turned to Lee and said completely expressionlessly, "knock yourself out."

_Now if only he would take that literally_, Gaara sighed inwardly.

"Thank you, Gaara!" Lee said, tears glimmering in his dark eyes. Sensing what was about to happen, Gaara tried to move away but it was too crowded. Trapped in this unpleasant,unrequited embrace, he stood stiffer than a board. "I won't disappoint you!"

Gaara looked at the board skeptically. Though it was very large, he noted the bull's eye was very small. The trick probably deceived plenty of suckers into playing.

_Present company included_, Gaara thought, looking over to where Lee held a dart, tongue out and one eye closed. Aiming carefully, Gaara was surprised to see the dart land a short distance from the middle. Surprised, but not impressed. After watching Tenten throw with such accuracy the only way Lee would impress him was if he were blind and throwing with his feet.

_This could be interesting if Lee can actually aim well_, Gaara thought, tiny glimmer of hope.

The second dart in his hand, Lee made a big show before he let it fly. Gaara scoffed when it landed almost six inches away.

_So much for that._

The third dart landed between the first and second, still not hitting the bull's eye.

"I'm going to hit that middle!" Lee said determinedly. "With my glorious springtime of youth, I shall prevail!"

Gaara sighed. And people thought _he_ was weird.

Tiredly, he dug out more money and laid it on the counter. Lee eagerly threw the next three darts, all of them missing.

"Come on, let's go," Gaara said, not wishing to see any more of his money in the pocket of the vendor.

"No, one more, _please_!" Lee begged.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gaara silently implored his head not to explode, promising he would actually try and take it easy later that night. Lee wasn't a little kid, or at least he wasn't supposed to _act_ like one and drive him insane. Not wishing to make a spectacle, Gaara looked Lee in the eye as he pulled out the rest of his money.

"This is all I have left," he said evenly, his green eyes boring into Lee's black ones. "I don't have any more."

"Oh, glorious day!" Lee shouted, this time unable to capture Gaara in another hug. "I won't let you down, I promise!"

"Yeah, whatever," Gaara muttered, wishing fervently Lee would quite prancing around in front of him like a green-clad circus monkey and throw the damn darts.

Gaara tried not to roll his eyes as the first one missed by a longshot. The second one was not far off from the first, and Gaara found himself turning to leave when Lee started shouting.

"The last one hit, the last one hit!" he cried jubilantly, this time succeeding in capturing Gaara. Eyes wide in surprise, he looked down at the stuffed bear that Lee had won as it was thrust into his arms.

"What are you doing?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"You had faith in me, so I'm rewarding it!" he said with a thumbs up.

"But I didn't really…" Gaara trailed off, sort of embarrassed.

Slinging an arm over his shoulder, Lee's face was close to his as he smiled conspiratorially.

"I know, but I wanted to do something nice," he said as he gave him a pat on the back, suddenly backing away and giving him a nice guy pose.

Gaara stood there blinking, bear clutched in his hands. Looking down at the stitched smile and button eyes, he felt a sudden, unwelcome wave of nostalgia wash over him. He frowned at the object, feeling his grip tighten.

"Hey, come on, I wanna check out the dancing pigs!" Lee yelled, already ten feet away.

Looking down again, Gaara pushed aside his sadness. Adjusting the furry animal in his grasp, he followed after an enthusiastic Lee, allowing himself a small smile.


	7. Strength

**Strength**

By: Sonnie

Shikamaru saw that Tenten wasn't crying, but that was just as bad as when she was. Even though she was abnormally sensitive to others' feelings, one of the reasons he admired her so much as a person was how she dealt with her own. She was strong…it was no façade, no act, no pretending. She just had a way of handling things well.

Temari had been merciless; cruel, even. It was one of the things he didn't like about her…how she treated people. She lashed out at others and in this case it was making him livid. Anger, superior strength, even being right…there weren't any excuses for how she had treated Tenten.

"I've already talked with her," Shikamaru told Temari evenly. "And since I'm the one in charge of her, why don't you yell at me?"

The sand ninja's eyes widened a moment before narrowing again.

"What's wrong; can't do it?" Shikamaru asked her, his words clipped. "I don't care if you like me or not. I'm the one that deserves it…so why don't you yell at me?"

Temari growled. "Why do you always have to stick up for her?" she demanded.

"Why do you always have to treat her so critically?" Shikamaru countered. "Ever since the Chuunin exams you've said she was trash, that she was nothing. I happen to disagree with that. She made a mistake today, yes, but at least she didn't do anything to warrant being treated like less than a human being. She's never done anything to deserve that."

Temari frowned. She never liked the way that Shikamaru viewed Tenten…while he certainly didn't treat her romantically their relationship was very similar to that he had with Chouji. It was a very close, intimate friendship with deep, underlain with levels of caring and understanding and acceptance. Frankly, it made her a bit jealous.

Temari gave him a hard look. "Why do you care about her so much?"

"She's my friend, Temari," Shikamaru said simply. "You don't really have any, so you probably don't understand."

Temari paled. How could he stay so calm when saying something so insulting? A part of her knew what he said was true, but…

"Weren't you just lecturing me about being cruel?" she yelled. "What you just said certainly fits the bill."

"Then if you let the truth get to you like that you're not as strong as you think," Shikamaru told her bluntly. "Just as candor doesn't work with some people, subtlety doesn't work for others. I really hate giving you a reality check this way, but I'm not going to have you treat my teammates like you've been doing. She's my liability as a ninja and my responsibility as a friend, and it's as the latter I'm having this discussion with you."

"What makes her so special?" Temari demanded. "She's just an average ninja! Why is she so important?"

"You're only taking into account her fighting abilities, which you never acknowledge simply because yours counteract hers," Shikamaru reasoned. "There's a lot more to a person than their ability to fight, even a ninja. Tenten isn't ever overconfident and can admit when she's been bested. She easily accepts that your skills are the natural counter to hers and wouldn't even dream of thinking otherwise."

"That's what makes her so great?" Temari said after a moment of strained silence.

"Actually, no," Shikamaru said, his voice raising in volume slightly. "She knows she can't have her way all the time but doesn't let life walk all over her. That sense of balance is important. She's feminine but practical. She's stubborn but can concede. She teases me about the way I am but accepts it and never assumes to tell me how to act or change me so she can accept me easier."

Temari found it difficult to ignore his pointed look. She knew she was merciless in criticizing what she thought to be his flaws. Never allowing him any peace, she hated to admit that she'd never really stopped to consider how it made him feel. She knew from personal experience that it was easy to feign apathy even when she was hurt emotionally.

"Tenten's also capable of doing things for people just to do them," Shikamaru continued. "The only things I ever consistently seen you do of your own free will are either antagonistic or agenda-driven. I know you're capable of good deeds but you always accredit them to moments of weakness. And even though I like you and find you interesting it doesn't mean that I can overlook how you act. The way you treat others is appalling, and I know you didn't have a mother to teach you manners, but it's time someone did."

Temari slapped him. He just stood there, taking it with his back hunched over and his hands in his pockets. It always infuriated her how he took everything without fighting back.

"How dare you?" Temari hissed, grabbing the front of his vest. She shook him when she saw how unaffected he was.

"Sorry, but you're not the first woman to get mad at me for telling the truth," Shikamaru said dully. "I don't have much use for tact in this situation, anyway. Like I said earlier, it doesn't work on you."

"How can you deride me for how I treat others when this is how you treat me?" she yelled, infuriated at the angry tears in the corners of her eyes. Blinking them back, she refused to let him see them.

"I would have reacted to anyone who behaved towards my friends as you did," Shikamaru told her. "I've even called Ino on her bad behavior when she's been mad at Chouji. It's important to know that you can't get away with treating others like that even if you're angry. But I didn't tell you to be rude. I think you owe it to yourself to act with more dignity, that's all. Being strong and pushing people around aren't the same thing. You do yourself an injustice every time you sink to the level of scorn. I don't have any respect for that and I _want_ to have respect for you."

Temari dropped the front of his vest and pushed him away. "You think you can just talk your way out of this," she hissed, hoisting her fan onto her shoulder. "Don't you?"

Shikamaru looked at her coolly. "If you want a fight you won't get it," he said simply. "It's pointless. We both know who will win."

"Just get the hell out of here!" Temari yelled angrily, pointing to the door.

Shikamaru shrugged and shuffled towards the exit.

"You're always right," Temari sneered. "Smug bastard."

Shikamaru paused. He turned around, studying her for a moment. "I'm not smug, Temari," he told her quietly. She felt something twist in her chest at the gentle way he said her name. "And to tell you the truth, being right doesn't really make me all that happy anyway." Turning his back to her, he left unceremoniously.

Temari's fan fell to the ground, cracking the floor. Now that he was gone, she lifted her sleeve to her face, only to find that her tears had already fallen.

**-O-**

Kankurou found his sister in her room, sitting in her windowsill and staring into the glass blankly. There were traces of sadness within the mask of boredom she usually wore.

"Temari?" he asked tentatively, surprised she hadn't snapped at him already for invading her space.

"Kankurou…" she murmured, looking over at him. Tilting her head to the side, she studied him a moment before pressing on. "Am I a bad person?"

Kankurou stiffened. He didn't like where this was headed. This was certainly not his sister. When did she ever care what others thought?

"…You're not a bad person…" Kankurou told her truthfully.

"Why the hesitation?" she questioned, returning her gaze to the window.

"Uh, it's just…" Kankurou glanced at the door and wondered how long it would take her to close the distance between them and strangle him. "It's just that…you're not terribly nice sometimes, that's all."

Temari blinked. "Oh." She glanced over at him. "Shikamaru and I had a fight."

"And he said you were a bad person?" Kankurou asked in disbelief.

"No, he didn't," Temari said distantly. "Just that I need to work on how I treat others."

Kankurou shrugged. "Well, everyone does," he said.

"Apparently Tenten doesn't," Temari snapped bitterly before she could stop herself. Remember her brother's feelings towards her as well as realizing she was letting the girl get to her, Temari clammed up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well," Kankurou began quietly, "you might just try talking to her sometime. She doesn't hold any grudges." He winced, realizing that such praise wasn't in his own best interest, but to his surprise, his sister sighed.

"I'll think about it," Temari murmured, turning her attention back out the window.

Not knowing what else to do, Kankurou left his sister to her thoughts.

**-O-**

"This is stupid," Temari muttered. She stood in the hallway, contemplating whether or not to knock on Tenten's door. It was less than twenty four hours since she'd last seen Shikamaru but she found none of her tension had disappeared. "I'm intimidated to talk to a girl I can beat up."

"Talking to yourself?" Gaara asked her, obviously coming upon her without her noticing.

Temari frowned. "Kankurou suggested talking to Tenten…I want to figure out why she's so important to Shikamaru. Why they're friends and all."

"What brought this on?" Gaara asked. Normally he wouldn't care, but his sister was acting very out of character and even though he wasn't quite _concerned_, he was curious.

"Shikamaru says I have no people skills," Temari simplified, not wanting to go into painful detail. "He also says I'm incapable of recognizing the good qualities in others if I fail to see why Tenten is strong."

"Well, Naruto has a lot of strength," Gaara mused. "And he's not too bright sometimes, but he's won the respect of many people through his spirit. Lee's the same way, I guess, although they're both annoying. And Tenten…is thankfully not annoying at all."

"You don't think she is?" Temari asked in surprise, partially because her brother usually took every opportunity to criticize others like her. He just wasn't deliberately harsh; to him his assessments were merely observations.

"No," Gaara said blankly. "She tries to get me to talk when I'm in a decent mood, but if I'm angry she gives me space. That's really all I can ask of other people."

"Oh," Temari murmured. This really wasn't the great revelation she was looking for. "So it doesn't have anything to do with how _strong_ she is…"

"But I think that's exactly what Shikamaru was trying to say," Gaara said. "Naruto taught me strength isn't all about power because power can make you evil. And sometimes a person just doesn't back down because they have too much pride."

Staring hard at her brother, she crossed her arms. "I'm just going to get this over with," she muttered darkly, not noticing her brother's eyes widening slightly as her knuckles met the door.

**-O-**

Tenten heard the knock on her door distantly through the mind numbing haze that her kata had put her in. Not lowering her kodachi, she glanced over her shoulder to where the knocks persisted.

"Come in," she called out, staring another series of attacks. She lowered the blade at her side when she saw who it was.

Temari had caught the last few seconds of her practice, grudgingly admitting that if the girl had actually used a close-range weapon in the chuunin exam things might have been different. The girl's speed and taijutsu were far superior and in hand-to-hand would have held the advantage.

"Oh, hey," Tenten said, completely confused. Sleep, a good bath, and a run that morning had taken a lot of her negative feelings away, as did the realization that Temari was just being Temari. Just as Lee was always the first to defend and Neji was the first to dismiss, Temari was always the first to criticize. She was learning not to take it so personally anymore, but it was certainly challenging at times.

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked the blonde, then realizing that all the chairs in her room where covered with weapons. Shoving all the bladed weapons off the chair where they landed in a jarring metallic heap, she brushed it off as best she could before taking it over to Temari.

"Sorry, I usually don't have guests," she said, giving what she hoped was a winning smile.

"Thanks," Temari muttered, brushing off the cushion again before taking a seat.

"Um…" Tenten was wondering if she had anything that could vaguely be considered refreshments in her room. "I think I might have some chocolate candy…but I don't have any tea. I'm sorry."

Temari blinked. Her contemptuous words had been harsh even by her standards and now, less than a day later, the subject of her attack was apologizing for not having anything decent to offer as a host. "I'm fine."

Tenten studied the girl carefully. Though never on good terms, Tenten didn't hate or even dislike Temari. When she noticed that she wasn't getting a glare in return, she leaned forward. "Are you alright?"

"I said I'm fine!" Temari snapped.

To her puzzlement, Tenten smiled. "So you are." She cleared another chair and set it up a close but comfortable distance away from Temari. "I take it this isn't a social call."

Frowning, Temari felt her jaw tighten. "Shikamaru said I didn't treat you very well yesterday," she said finally, not meeting the brunette's gaze.

"No," Tenten said slowly. "But in all fairness I was at fault. Are you here to apologize?"

"No," Temari said a bit sharper than she intended.

"Good," Tenten said, smiling.

"Huh?" Temari was perplexed. "You don't want me to apologize?"

"Nope," Tenten said; smile still maddeningly calm. "I don't have much use for apologies, much less insincere ones. You wouldn't have meant an apology because I saw how angry you were last night, just as you're angry right now. And even if you regretted your outburst, which I know you don't, you did what you thought was perfectly valid at the time. Everyone does things they can be less than proud of but still not regret."

"This is stupid," Temari said dismally.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Tenten said sincerely. "But I'm not really that upset with you. I mean, it's just how you are. I'm really not in any position to hold that against you."

"You just think you're so much better than everyone else," Temari said darkly.

"No, not at all," Tenten said with a shrug. "People are just different, that's all. They all deserve respect but you've got to treat them in different ways. If I treated Gaara the way I treat Lee then that's just asking for trouble. Likewise, I recognize that each person I know won't treat me like the next."

"So it doesn't bother you that I'm disrespectful to you?" Temari questioned.

"I never said that," Tenten corrected delicately. "I'm saying that I recognize that due to different circumstances, people are different and I can't expect them all to treat me the same. Shikamaru treats everyone he meets respectfully, and I'm sure you just think he's being a doormat when in truth he's being civil and understanding that not everyone is capable of treating others with dignity."

"And that's supposed to make you strong?" Temari asked indignantly. "Just taking crap from others?"

"It makes you thick-skinned, yes," Tenten said, "but not necessarily strong. You just need to weigh how you're treated with what you know about the other person, I guess. I just like being polite to everyone."

"Because you're a simpleton?" Temari muttered.

"Because I can," Tenten said. "I mean, I don't have anything to gain by being rude to them. Besides, I've earned the respect of good people by acting kindly towards others."

"Like who?" Temari demanded.

Tenten smiled. "Shikamaru," she answered simply. "And he's someone that matters. I take pride in the fact that he respects me as a human being. And even though we tease each other a lot, I've come to accept him the way he is and he accepts me for how I am. And there's really no better compliment than to be accepted by others as you are."

Temari thought about this. Even _Gaara_ didn't have any problem with Tenten…not that he was overflowing with love and admiration, but he respected her well enough. She couldn't think of anyone who disliked her besides herself.

"It's hard to take the world in stride," Tenten said. "I can't let every little thing bother me like you."

Temari opened her mouth to retort but realized she was right. Even when Kankurou teased her she'd let her temper flare up instantly and he'd be the victim of some kind of physical retribution.

Tenten continued. "Shikamaru has certainly said a lot of things that have pissed me off over the years…the first day I really had a decent conversation with him, he told me he wasn't sure if he could trust me because I bleed for five days and don't die."

Temari felt her cheeks turn pink. He'd _said_ that?

"And then I asked him if I could trust someone whose blood left his brain every time he thought about sex. Shikamaru said "fair enough" and that was when our relationship began. We've obviously evolved since then, or at least I'd like to think. But relationships are hard to maintain, even when we're both as easygoing as we are, simply because people don't really have any "logical" reason to stay connected aside from their blood relations or working relationships. If I were to up and become, say, a painter, I'd never see him unless one of us made some sort of effort."

Temari considered this. Even though Shikamaru and Tenten in some ways were on the same personality wavelength, they weren't good friends because of some kind of magical cosmic connection. It took work. They did things for each other; Shikamaru would pick little things up for her when he traveled and she would clean his weapons or bring him lunch when he was stuck doing paperwork. She'd even play shougi and go with him, despite the fact they both knew her eventual loss was inevitable.

_I guess you can't just keep taking without having to give something back_, Temari thought. _And really, what am I giving to Shikamaru? Annoyance? Amusement? Enjoyment? Why does he put up with me when I nag him about his laziness ninety percent of the time? We're both emotionally stoic sometimes, both apathetic, both bored. And it's not like I ever act like I'm happy to see him…_

Standing up suddenly, Temari resolved that she would do something nice for him, even if it was small. Turning to Tenten, she nodded curtly.

"Thanks," she said without too much enthusiasm, though she felt better from when she'd first come in.

"Oh, Temari?" Tenten called, managing to catch the girl in time.

"Yeah?"

"The black lace bra was a big hit," Tenten revealed with a grin. "You probably shouldn't slip it into his bag next time, because when Ino volunteered to help him unpack she got a really wicked surprise."

Turning around, Temari thanked her for the tidbit of knowledge, but this time she smiled.

**-O-**

In the middle of his chess game, Shikamaru's concentration was broken when he felt a package drop into his lap with his name scrawled in loopy letters. He would have just let it go until he finished the match, but Lee urged him to open it. Despite the fact that latter possessed absolutely no skill, he was playing in an attempt to learn more and improve his game.

Naruto and Neji were watching; Naruto because he loved competitions and Neji out of pure morbid fascination. As far as he was concerned, Lee had no business playing chess with someone so much more advanced. He couldn't possibly be learning when he was getting so soundly beaten.

"Perhaps your package is from some secret admirer!" Lee suggested, giving him a thumbs up as he gawked at the small parcel in Shikamaru's hands.

"Or maybe it's a trap," Neji pointed out, a suggestion that was perfectly valid.

"Just open it!" Naruto yelled, not having gained one bit of patience in all his years as Jiraiya's student.

"Fine," Shikamaru sighed, pulling open the string slowly. Upon realizing what was inside, he abruptly shoved the package and its contents into his pocket.

"What is it?" Lee asked. When Shikamaru made no move to reveal what he'd gotten, Lee decided to take action. Darting across the table (and upsetting all the pieces of his doomed match), Lee wrestled the package from Shikamaru and held it up triumphantly.

"I have seized the prize you have so carefully guarded!" Lee proclaimed. Lifting the itme and holding it up, he yelped and threw it at Shikamaru upon figuring out what it was.

"I must say, my opinion of you has certainly suffered a blow today," Lee said, his cheeks bright red.

Shikamaru wished that he could crawl into a hole and disappear. It was bad enough that Lee knew what he'd gotten, but Naruto and Neji…they would never let him forget it.

"Tenten," he muttered darkly. _She _told_ her! I can't believe it!_

"Those are Tenten's?" Naruto asked, laughing. "Well, I guess she's your type and all. She's not the hottest woman ever but _definitely_ not a hag…"

Neji was looking at the scrap of black cloth Shikamaru was holding that ostensibly went under the label of panties. There wasn't enough material there to make a headband. He briefly considered the consequences of attacking and maiming his leader.

"My honorable teammate Tenten gave those to you?" Lee demanded, flames in his eyes as he shook his fist threateningly to Shikamaru.

_Women are so, so troublesome_, Shikamaru sighed wearily, but perked up when he saw Tenten approach. She could clear this up!

"Hey, what's up?" she said, completely oblivious to the looks of shock, aversion, and awe she was receiving.

"Tenten…" Shikamaru said warningly, holding up the panties.

Tenten laughed. "Sorry…" she said sheepishly. "I know it was wrong of me…but I just had to do it. Do you like them? I know how you feel about black lace."

Shikamaru felt, rather then saw, Lee's jaw hit the ground when she winked at her spikey-haired friend. He suffered the fury of the Hyuuga glare through Tenten's back and grit his teeth at Naruto's poor attempts to cover his chuckles. Shikamaru knew this whole episode should be funny, but for some reason he just wasn't laughing.

"Anyway, I was going out for a jog, so I'll catch you later," Tenten said, waving to Shikamaru as she ran off. She didn't even flinch at the four sets of eyes staring after her.

**-O-**

A week later, after Shikamaru had finally convinced everyone that Tenten wasn't the one who sent him the panties, he received a birthday package in the mail from Ino. She usually got him a gag gift, followed by a real one, but this year the first one she sent had been good. A silver pocket watch with a deer engraved on the front, he always carried it in his vest.

Pulling the string open on Ino's package, he almost fell over when he saw what was inside.

_Not again,_ Shikamaru groaned inwardly, despite himself picking them up and studying them. A black lace thong greeted him.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Temari's voice called out. Though as feisty as ever, she'd been considerably nicer to him since their argument, and he sure as hell didn't need her reverting back to the way she had been. He stuffed the garment into his pocket hurriedly.

"What's that?" Temari asked, managing to hook a finger around a skimpy strap. Temari's jaw dropped when she saw what it was, and Shikamaru felt himself running before he was even conscious of doing so.Looking over his shoulder, he saw Temari was gaining on him.

_Damn it, why couldn't I have just liked Tenten or something?_ he thought fervently. _She'd never be as much trouble as this!_

Shikamaru knew his troubles were just beginning he heard Temari one step behind him.

Upon waking an hour later, Shikamaru only had the energy to sigh. He was going to kill Tenten when he got up.


	8. Childish

**Childish**

By: Sonnie

Tenten imagined her feet were flying over the floorboards of the mansion as she fled him. The tears wouldn't stop—they refused to stop even as she wiped them away angrily. They stung as she ran blindly through the corridors, not really sure which way led where but she just wanted _out_.

Her hand flew to her hair, braided and secured with her mother's cherished pins. Yanking the expensive ornaments out of her hair with disgust, she threw them on the ground, not caring whether or not she'd see them again. Not wanting to. She'd just…tried so _hard_ and it wasn't enough. Nothing ever was. She didn't even know if there _was_ an enough.

_Nothing matters if you reason everything to fate_, Tenten thought bitterly.

Flinging the door open, she ran down the path that led to the gate, her exit. Not noticing the way the rain was pelting her with icy drops of water that soaked her hair and ruined her borrowed gown and mixed with her tears until she couldn't tell what was nature and what was pain.

Tenten stiffened as she approached the gate. Kankurou was blocking her way, and even though he was stronger, he wasn't armed her taijutsu was superior. Not giving any sign of moving aside, she was fully prepared to kick his ass into next week when he spoke.

"Leaving so soon?"

Tenten felt a flash of anger at his light, mocking tone. How dare he?

"What the hell does it matter if I am?" Tenten challenged. "Have you nothing better to do than torment the poor little girl that was just rejected by the man she's had feelings for since she was twelve?"

Kankurou regarded her quietly for a moment. "In case you haven't noticed," his voice began softly, "you're not a little girl anymore."

Tenten glared at him, her fighting stance remaining. She _had_ to look like a little girl; a little girl who was playing dress up, ruining Kankurou's graciously lent clothes in the rain. Her wet hair hung around her face carelessly in its messy braids, just like those of a little girl's.

"Leave me alone!" Tenten commanded savagely, not caring how defeated and torn her voice sounded as it escaped her throat like a wounded cry.

"You don't sound like someone who wants to be alone," Kankurou told her solemnly.

With a broken cry, she charged at him. She wanted him to move; she wanted to move somebody. She at least wanted to consolation of being able to do that. Kankurou barely managed to sidestep and grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her rather sharply. They spun around as she tried to break free. Screaming in rage, she felt the anger die when she felt the cold, wet slap of his sand-colored hair against her bare back. Hunched over, his forehead rested between her shoulder blades as his hands held her arms.

A sob escaped her throat as Kankurou felt the tension melt away from Tenten's body. His grip prevented her from dropping to the pavement in a broken, crying heap. Easing her gently to the ground, he sat beside her. The rain continued to fall around them, on them, but it was only a background distraction to them.

"I don't understand him," Tenten said softly, her voice shaking. "I don't see how I was endangering the mission by just talking to him. I came here as pretending to be your fiancée, yes, but you and the host were meeting in another room. He wasn't there to see me talk to Neji so it wouldn't have mattered. I was so surprised to see him…happy, even. Why is it so important to him that I hide how I'm feeling?"

Kankurou felt his heart twist painfully as the heavy, warm weight of her head fell against his shoulder in defeat. "I guess…he sees it as a sign of strength," Kankurou said quietly. "It isn't…easy…to suppress your feelings. And from everything I've gathered about his family, restraint and image are the most important things."

Tenten looked down to where his hand rested next to hers, a small smile on her lips. "You really make me feel better."

"But I won't ever be able to make you feel like _him_," Kankurou said with a sad shrug. "And I can't. Maybe we're just meant to be unhappy. You love him but he makes you miserable. I care about you but you're always sad because of him."

Tenten gave a brittle laugh. "We're fucked up, you know that, right?"

Kankurou found a bitter smile had twisted his lips into a grimace. "Yeah," he said.

"All I wanted was a dance," Tenten said shyly. "It would have been enough to hold me over until the next time he decided to glance my way or say my name…Just enough for me to cling to him…"

**-O-**

Neji retraced Tenten's steps through his house, leaning down to retrieve her hair pins. One of them was broken—the shiny enamel had cracked under her fury when she flung it on the ground. They were fine hairpins; her mother's, he realized. The woman had died and left Tenten with only a few meager possessions, but she had always taken so much pride in them.

Tenten had been absolutely radiant…her dress, her hair, her smile. Everything had been so beautiful it hurt him to look at her. So he didn't. That tactic never worked with her; even without Byakugan she would manage to always stay within his sight somehow, even when she wasn't even there.

When they had gone on missions together, she would always be there to guard his blind spot. She had been in the very back of his mind then, not too significant or noteworthy. Now he had a different partner to guard Byakugan's blind spot but he realized that now Tenten was always poised at the peripheral edges of his mind, prepared to take center stage if he let his thoughts wander.

Neji couldn't pinpoint when her childish crush on him became something more. He wasn't even sure if it was ever childish, really. It wasn't the blind idolization that Ino had for Sasuke, nor was it the maddeningly blind devotion of Sakura to the same man. It wasn't Hinata's mutual admiration for Naruto or Kurenai's shy relationship with Asuma. It wasn't the tortured connection Kakashi had to Rin or the playful relationship between Anko and Genma.

It wasn't one thing Tenten felt for him, there wasn't just one word to describe it; it was an ever-evolving idolization and devotion and adoration and hesitation and pain and they all confused and scared him. Was he supposed to react with the same intensity? Where would he find it? He never had the use for emotions before…only hatred. And now that it was gone, he saw no reason to go back to feeling.

Neji was used to fear. Neji was used to reverence. But Neji wasn't used to a startling combination of them mixed with love and long dark hair and brown eyes with a twinkle in them that he would never have, that he couldn't have, that he wouldn't ever know. She was always so childish—the way wore her hair, the pink she always donned, the moments he caught her daydreaming.

_So childish…_

Neji had been a happy child until his father died. Hatred had consumed him for so long it was difficult approaching others with anything but. He'd begun to change a little, but he knew he didn't deserve the looks of admiration she gave him. His abilities as a ninja were different than those he'd ever possess as a human being. Emotions were weak and they caused complications and hesitation and they were things he could not afford as a shinobi. Even Shikamaru had botched things during a mission when Ino was involved—Neji refused to have such an obvious disadvantage.

When Tenten had asked him to dance, he'd turned her down. She was miffed at first, saying that it didn't have to mean anything but he knew if he accepted it under those new terms she set it would make her upset. It would have made him upset, too, he realized.

**-O-**

"Is love childish?" Tenten asked Kankurou. Both were soaked to the skin but oblivious to the rain. His suit jacket was draped over her shoulders; the waterlogged fabric didn't protect her from the rain but provided some warmth.

"Yes and no," Kankurou said cryptically. "Depending on the type, it can be childish. Or it can be a great sign of maturity. But everything's always easier when you're a child and you love someone."

Tenten eyed him warily. "You're a great actor, Mr. Puppeteer, but a lousy philosopher."

The blond shrugged. "Love ought to be a simple thing and everyone complicates it needlessly."

"All I wanted was a dance," Tenten said with a bittersweet smile. If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear the strains of the orchestra hired to play coming from the heart of the mansion.

Kankurou gave her a small smile. "Do you still want to?" he asked her shyly.

Tenten looked at him hard. Kankurou was sure she would say no, so when she smiled at him so big it hurt to look at her, he was surprised. The smile was incredible but the tears had returned. Kankurou had seen countless performances of what were considered the most beautiful tragic plays ever written, but never had he witnessed something that felt so good but hurt so deeply. A smile that was sincere and insincere all at once.

"Yeah, I would like a dance," Tenten said, her voice cracking. "Besides, I have to put your lessons to good use. I'm going to dance well even though no one's watching. I don't think anyone's even noticed we've left the party."

"That meeting was the only reason I had to come here," Kankurou told her as his arm went to her waist and his hand held hers. Her pushed the jacket from her shoulders so she could lift her arms properly. "After we were done talking, I came out here, figuring you wanted to stick around inside a bit longer."

It went without saying that he thought she wanted to be with _him_.

"Kankurou?" Tenten whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Hm?" he asked, a bit concerned.

"I love this song."

He smiled.

**-O-**

Neji had been standing in the doorway, the wind whipping the rain against his suit. His colorless eyes fell upon the dancing figures of Tenten and Kankurou. Moving the beat of the music from within the house, the couple didn't have a dry spot on them. Kankurou's coat appeared to have had been draped over her shoulders but it lay in a wet heap several feet away.

Both arms wrapped now around her waist, Kankurou's head was resting against the crook of Tenten's neck. One arm around his shoulders, the other hand clutching his head to her tightly, Tenten's face was looking up at the black sky where the rain kept falling.

The song ended and they hesitantly pulled their bodies apart. Their foreheads touching, they spoke in hushed voices for a moment before she was enveloped in a painful squeeze. But it was a sweet kind of pain and she relaxed in his arms.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Kankurou told her, his voice broken just like her pride.

"I know," she said sadly. "Neither do I."

"I told myself I wouldn't ever think of you as anything more than a comrade," Kankurou admitted. "I told myself that a long time ago."

"Surprise, surprise," Tenten said wryly. "You went from being dark and gloomy to being a womanizer."

"But you're the only woman I've ever womanized," Kankurou said with a grin. "You should feel special."

Tenten smiled. "I do," she admitted. "But this whole mess is hard on both of us."

"But hey, at least you're beautiful when you're sad," Kankurou said with the barest of smiles.

"I've forgotten what I look like when I'm happy," Tenten told him.

Kankurou smiled sadly. "You're even more beautiful then." He bent down to pick up his ruined coat.

"Mr. Puppeteer, how did it come to pass that I be the one to pull your strings?" Tenten asked him loftily, a tight smile twisting painfully at the hidden meanings.

"I'm not sure, I just know it happened sometime after you let him pull yours, little girl," Kankurou shrugged.

"I thought you said I wasn't a little girl anymore," Tenten remarked.

"I don't want you old and jaded like me," Kankurou joked, not really much of one all things considered. "I want you to remember what it's like to be happy, because maybe one day we'll get this all worked out."

"But it's not going to be this day," Tenten murmured.

Kankurou shook his head. "I've got to get home tonight and report back for a new mission," he said, leaning against the iron-wrought gate. "Neji or one of the other jounins can take you home, alright? And in case anything happens to me on the mission—"

"Yes, yes, I'll take care of things," Tenten said, waving a hand dismissively, a small smile appearing. "I'll make sure Temari doesn't dance on your grave and call curses down on your good name. I'll clean and polish all your scary demented puppets. I'll even make sure Gaara becomes the best swimmer Wind Country has ever seen. Just don't d—" she paused, realizing she'd almost said _die_, then settled for "please come back, okay? We need to figure this all out."

Tenten took the comforting hand he extended and pressed it against her heart, feeling the intrinsic warmth of his flesh through the fabric of her dress even though his skin was wet and cold. They'd both get sick from being outside in the rain so long she thought absently.

Kankurou stood there with her like that for a moment before she felt his hand disappear. She watched him leave, staring down the road where he had vanished from sight a long time ago.

**-O-**

Behind her, Neji remained in the doorway. A part of him wanted to go to her when she slumped against the gate, sitting in the rain alone, bereft. She was staring straight ahead, not really seeing anything as the rain continued to fall. Neji lost track of time before she got up. Turning her back to him, Tenten opened the latch of the gate with her cool fingers, their temperature warm against the icy metal.

Neji watched as she slipped outside, disappearing down the opposite path Kankurou had taken. He wondered if somehow they'd meet up even after going in opposite directions. After all, he and Tenten had walked a similar path but never seemed to end up in quite the same place.

Standing in the rain she had looked too beautiful to be his smiling former teammate or Shikamaru's "average" ideal or an ex-ANBU member who refused to tell anyone why she really quit or even a kunoichi who used to wear her hair in buns. She was just…a woman. She was angry and broken and wearing a dress that belonged to another man's dead mother as she danced with him in the rain. And when she'd looked after Kankurou's back as he left her he wondered if perhaps she felt the same way when she used to stare after his.

_Things were easy before I decided to acknowledge that she might have feelings for me,_ Neji thought. _But even then, as long as I didn't pay attention either way it didn't matter. I can't just ignore anymore…everything is either an acceptance or a rejection and for once I'm given a choice about something and I really can't say that I want to make it._

_How can I recognize something I've never really experienced?_ Neji wondered. _I'm not going to get all mushy like Naruto does with Hinata…for one thing Tenten would be freaked out if I ever acting halfway like that idiot, another being that Naruto just achieved unheard of new levels of pathetic and sappy to proclaim his feelings._

_Kankurou is serenading her…_Neji frowned. _But he's doing it in secret, away from prying eyes and gossip and the judgment of others. He's telling how he feels in such personal ways but without embarrassing her with fanfare. And even though he's pretty stern he's also more sensitive to how she feels…_

Neji was once again awed by Shikamaru's composure. At least Tenten was sane and wasn't half as pushy as only one of the blondes who was rapidly pursuing the beleaguered Nara. The poor guy hadn't done anything; trouble just came to him, probably in what Shikamaru would grumpily call irony. Neji wasn't sure it was irony insofar as bad luck.

Neji questioned just how often Shikamaru thought about those women…each of them equally intense in their affections, jealousy, and wrath. Tenten wasn't the type to be so forceful…which only made it harder to tell how she really felt.

_Is it love?_ Neji wondered. _It's more than friendship but it can be anywhere from a little crush to something I can't fathom. Sometimes I think she loves me but then she's off with Kankurou…I don't know if what she has with him is love either. Neither of them ever seems that happy around each other but there's always this strong sympathetic connection between them…like they're doomed and they know it._

Neji remembered Sasuke…how he had feelings for Sakura he couldn't explain or justify or understand. The Sharingan user felt _something_ but really had no idea how to act on it. It just wasn't in his vocabulary to be gentle or patient or sympathetic and every time the pink haired girl had done something for him it was met with confusion, anger, or indifference. Perhaps his demeanor wasn't so much a defense mechanism as genuine uncertainty.

_And this is what I'm going through?_ Neji sneered. _At least Tenten's smart enough to move on if I don't reciprocate, isn't she?_

Neji felt his frown deepen when he remembered her words about Sakura and Uchiha.

"_I think she's an idiot," Neji said blithely, scoffing at how a girl so smart could be so stupid._

"_I…feel sorry for her," Tenten murmured quietly. "You can't help how you feel…the whole world and even logic itself can tell you that it's wrong to love someone, but there are times when you just can't help but do it."_

"_That's nonsense," Neji said dismissively. "How can a person call their emotions their own if they don't even adhere to their own sense of reason?"_

"_But emotions don't have to be logical," Tenten said. "That's why they're so powerful. That's why they mean so much. A mind can only come up with so many excuses, but a person's heart doesn't get hung up in all that. It just…is what it is. It's a person's essence in its purest form."_

Neji wondered vaguely if he was falling in love.

_But even if I am, how am I supposed to know?_ he asked himself as he mentally retraced Tenten's steps from the house for the tenth time. _I'm not just going to fall down at her feet and beg for her to return my feelings, whatever they are._

_Still…maybe next time I can at least dance with her._


	9. Blank

**Blank**

By: Sonnie

Tenten drew her sword, but she wasn't fast enough. She cursed herself for having shown her opponent chakra strings in a previous fight; ironically his were more advanced, far more so. Not that it took a lot of his energy to hold her and her teammates captive. Returning from a barely-salvaged mission, they'd been en route to Konoha when they were ambushed. As the fastest member of the team, Lee was sent ahead to Konoha to get help after avoiding the initial attack.

Tenten knew everything possible was against them. It was night, so there was limited visibility and the new moon made it nearly impossible for Shikamaru to use any of his shadow jutsus. Their currently strongest teammate running for help had left them with a barely conscious group unfit for combat.

_And if the enemy really is him…we're all screwed. It can't be anyone else but him._

The tip of her blade trapped against her right shoulder mid-block, Tenten's right hand partially hid her face as she refused to drop the sword. At least she'd been able to stop the senbon aimed for her left eye. With her unobstructed right one, she glanced around to check the status of her teammates.

Shikamaru was twelve feet in front of her, entrapped in the same advanced chakra strings as she was. Temari was to her right, struggling uselessly against the eerily glowing strings that held her captive. Kankurou was to her left, nearly unconscious from the mission. When the enemy dropped gracefully between Tenten and Shikamaru, her fears were confirmed.

"Well this is quite a catch," the man drawled, smiling as he saw Shikamaru. Though not the strongest Jounin, Shikamaru was known as the smartest. The brown-haired man widened when he recognized the rogue nin.

"Kaziki Onoto," Shikamaru muttered. "You're an S-Rank criminal. You've been in the bingo book for three years. You were added right after your first attack on ANBU."

Turning to face Tenten, his eyes fell on the bandage wrapped around her shoulder. Tightening the chakra strings around her skin until the cloth split open, he grinned as he saw what was underneath. The vivid ANBU tattoo was neatly bisected vertically with an angry red scar.

"I thought I'd seen that sword before," Onoto said cheerfully. "You're the only female ANBU that's managed to land a hit on me. You're the only ANBU period that's recovered after a fight. I applaud you; you've done better than all of the men. You're still alive, for one…but I plan to remedy that soon enough. At least you have more energy than in our last fight."

"Too bad reinforcements came," Tenten growled, eyes narrowed, wishing desperately to cover up her ANBU tattoo.

"Yes, although they weren't in time to save you from three days of torture," Onoto said superiorly. "You hadn't eaten in all that time and were practically dead when I found you. To be quite honest, I felt gypped."

"So sorry to disappoint you," Tenten hissed.

"The first time we fought was the most interesting, even though the last time was when you showed me those amazing strings of yours…but as you can see, I've made some modifications. Like this, for example."

Shikamaru cried out sharply before biting his lip fiercely as a current of electricity traveled the length of string that held him around his chest. Tenten's eyes widened. His chakra control could rival Sakura's!

"Stop it!" Tenten screamed, eyes searching desperately for what she was looking for. Unable to move her head because of the strings, she knew her best chance was a long shot. Tenten moved her fingers, hoping the Sand nin remembered at least some basic ANBU sign language. "Kankurou!"

Knowing instantly what she sought, Kankurou strained his neck against the constraints. He narrowed his eyes, searching for the most vulnerable string that held her. In order to hold her still, the strings were tangled, and destroying the weakest string destabilized the others. He wasn't sure how she would be able to break it when she was held captive.

Squinting against the pain, Shikamaru focused in on the free fingers of Tenten's left hand after hearing her shout. He could barely make out the ANBU sign language, but realized what she wanted Kankurou to find for her.

"Tenten, don't," Shikamaru cautioned, his warning drowned out by electricity.

"Sakagesa!" Kankurou yelled, locating what she sought. It was the string that held her right shoulder.

"NO!" Shikamaru yelled, knowing what she was about to do.

Bracing herself, Tenten screamed. Ignoring the pain of the strings slicing her wrist, she plunged the blade into her shoulder before jerking it out roughly. With a snap, the strings around her went slack. Tenten fell the remaining three feet and slumped on the ground, face down.

"Tenten!" Shikamaru yelled, panting as the electricity was cut off suddenly.

"Huh," Onoto muttered, turning to where Tenten lay unmoving. Blood had stained the entire upper half of her shirt. "So eager to get out of the chakra strings?"

Temari's eyes narrowed as she desperately sought some sign of life from her teammate. She wasn't even moving when Onoto's hand descended and entangled itself in her hair. Yanking her head back, Onoto dropped her abruptly when her sword nearly severed his hand.

"You little bitch," he snarled, grasping his wrist protectively. He drew his sword.

Tenten was pissed. The angle had been bad and she hadn't managed to render his hand completely useless. Onoto charged her. The strength of her dominant arm cut in half because of her injured shoulder, Tenten barely managed to block his savage blow.

_Lee, get here soon,_ Tenten thought urgently.

"Onoto, I'm not ANBU anymore…why are you so eager to kill me?" Tenten asked between another exchange of blows. "It's not to gain the recognition of Akatsuki anymore…they're gone now."

"This is the third time I've fought you and I haven't been able to kill you," Onoto said simply. "That's never happened before and I know I'm stronger. I should be able to win."

"Maybe I just really want to live," Tenten muttered as she blocked his onslaught, knowing she was too weak to launch a successful counterattack.

"After what you've been through?" Onoto asked her skeptically, stepping back to study her.

Tenten straightened up. "You don't know anything about what's happened to me."

Onoto smiled. "You're quite well-known," he told her. "A highly-skilled weapons master who quit ANBU after only a year…but the funny thing is you didn't quit ANBU until over three months after the incident. What could have possibly happened that was worse than those three days of torture you experienced? I mean, as a kunoichi, rape isn't unheard of—"

Tenten cut him off with a flurry of shuriken. Shikamaru wondered if this unfamiliar look on her face was what she'd hid under an ANBU mask for a year. It wasn't anger, but it wasn't any kind of look that would bring someone comfort. It was a level of concentration he'd never seen from her before.

Tenten was reduced to defense and she knew it. Allowing herself to become angry had been a mistake. She'd been taunted before, yes, but the offhand way he had referred to her torture had felt like a knife turning in her chest. And even when he mentioned the possibility of rape, it was only a reminder of how narrowly she had escaped it.

Tenten was getting incensed over how often she'd been crying lately when she felt angry tears prick her eyes. She fighting for her life and allowing Onoto to get to her. Losing concentration in a battle was deadly, and she was already at a huge disadvantage. Unless the others broke free and could provide help she doubted she'd survive.

Shikamaru was feverishly seeking a way out of the chakra strings. Apparently not controlled by hand movements, he knew that he had to sufficiently distract Onoto for the rest of the strings to break. Tenten had taken the most direct route, but it had been reckless. Shikamaru knew there had to be another way out.

"Temari," he said in a low voice. "You can see Kankurou better from your position. How is he doing? Has he broken free yet?"

"Huh?" Temari's eyes flew to where Kankurou was struggling free of the strings. As a master of chakra strings he knew all the ways around them. He pulled out a handful of kunai and threw them, freeing Shikamaru. Temari was free only a moment later.

"We've got to help her," Kankurou said, his concerned gaze watching as one of Onoto's attack's nicked Tenten's arm. He readied a puppet, despite the fact it had been severely damaged during the mission and nearly ripped apart by the strings.

Temari wished fervently that she still had her fan. She'd been forced to abandon it during the mission, but it had been in worse shape than her brother's puppets. She was unarmed and Shikamaru only had a kodachi, which was good for defense but not for attacking.

"Tenten!" Kankurou felt her name escape his lips as Onoto's blade nicked the side of her neck, narrowly missing the artery. She was almost out of chakra and a few minutes away from losing consciousness.

_I've got to get him during this next attack,_ Tenten thought wildly, free hand traveling to the left side of her neck warily, knowing she would find blood and damaged flesh. _Damn it._

Kankurou sent the broken puppet after Onoto, knowing the marionette would break and only be able to buy Tenten a few seconds. As the bulky arms trapped Onoto, Tenten surged forward with her sword drawn. Ramming it into the middle of his chest, she felt her shoulder jerk at the force it required. She closed her eyes against the warm spray of his blood against her face.

"Tenten," Kankurou said, running to her side. The sound of his voice was comforting as she felt her awareness melt away. Before she allowed herself to surrender to unconsciousness, a drop of icy cold rain hit her cheek. Gasping when she realized what was happening, Tenten's eyes popped open to see Onoto's hands perform the seals to his dreaded final attack before he slumped over dead.

During their first confrontation the jutsu had sent her flying into oblivion faster than anything Neji or Lee had ever thrown at her. It had forced her to relive the worst physical pain she'd felt up to that point, when Temari had beaten her so soundly during the Chuunin exams. But now, a year after she'd first experienced it, her most painful encounter had been—

"Tenten!" Shikamaru yelled, not knowing why all of the sudden her arms were splitting open in a jagged mess of crisscrossing cuts, nor why her left arm went slack after an audible snap jarred her body. The sharp pangs of hunger made her even more lightheaded, as did the sensation of being turned on her head and suspended in the air by her feet.

The last thing Tenten heard was the hiss of her flesh as her pants rubbed the painfully raw burns on her thighs.

**-O-**

Sakura thought she'd seen some of the most brutal things done to humans by their fellow man, but seeing Tenten in Shikamaru's arms a hairsbreadth away from death made her sick. She did her best to stabilize Tenten before the journey back, but she knew Tsunade herself would need to attend to the ex-ANBU member.

The return to Konoha was grim. Lee now had Tenten and his face was deadly serious. Shikamaru was uncharacteristically agitated and even Temari looked concerned. Kankurou was as grave as ever, but Sakura detected worry on his face.

Upon reaching Konoha events happened in a flurry, yelling and running and healing jutsus and tears and finally a tangible feeling of relief. Tsunade assured them Tenten would recover but she was not sure when she'd wake up. She'd been responsible for treating some of the same injuries earlier after Tenten was rescued from her tormenters, but the addition of the shoulder wound had complicated things.

"She'd mentioned it, yeah," Shikamaru explained to the group assembled in her room after she'd been stabilized. "The first time she fought Onoto, he cast it on her as his final attack. It forced her to relive the worst instance of physical pain she'd ever experienced. Up to that point it had been her defeat to Temari."

"So it's like Itachi's genjutsu?" Sakura asked.

"No," Shikamaru said firmly. "It's real pain, not just a mental reliving. If Kakashi had really spent seventy two hours being stabbed by katanas he'd obviously be dead. But as you saw with Tenten, all the physical pain she'd endured as a captive was evident before she lost consciousness."

"The broken bones, the burn marks, and the cuts on her arms…those were only some of the obvious ones," Sakura revealed softly.

"The ANBU captain urged her strongly to quit after the incident, but she stayed on for three more months," Shikamaru said.

"So was there something else that made her quit?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru set his jaw. "It really isn't any of our business," he said, glancing over at the resting form of his friend. "But the other incident was the reason why she quit, not the torture."

The matter settled by the tone of his voice and there was a collective sigh. Each one of them was secretly dying to ask her now…and no one had any idea when she was going to wake up, or even if she'd have anything to say.

**-O-**

For the past month, Neji always found moments to visit, even late at night. Security always let him in and the receptionist thought it was sweet. Her giggles were ignored and he'd patiently wait until he couldn't see her to roll his eyes. Upon entering her room, he was greeted with bouquets and fruit baskets. He made sure some other visitor ate the fruit before it spoiled, and threw away the flowers when they died.

Neji knew that Tenten appreciated flowers but didn't particularly enjoy them. He observed sourly that Kankurou must have known that too, because for the past month the only things he'd left were edible, probably in the hopes she'd wake up. Neji only had one present for Tenten, and he noted with superiority that it wasn't perishable. He had wrapped it in silk, leaving it by her bed when she woke up. It was almost hidden beneath all the flowers and candy and fruit baskets, but he knew it wouldn't overwhelm her.

Neji looked at the clock, then at Tenten's sleeping face. He had a mission to go on and was going to be late as it was. Before he left, he allowed his fingers to trail over the back of her hand, knowing full well that she might remember when she woke up.

**-O-**

"Tenten's gone!" Sakura exclaimed, running out of her room. "We've searched the entire hospital! I don't understand how she got away!"

"Well, she is a ninja," Gaara muttered. Ignoring the glares he received, he pressed on. "She can't have gotten far. I mean, she's just been comatose for the past five weeks."

"You'd be surprised how far she'll push herself to avoid hospitals," Shikamaru said grimly. "We have to find her. She's already weak as it is…the last thing she probably remembers is her fight with Onoto. He dug up some pretty painful memories and they're still going to be fresh in her mind."

"Where are we going to look?" Hinata asked softly.

"Well, as soon as Lee found out, he ran off," Sakura sighed. "He could be anywhere, so we'll end up overlapping wherever we search."

"I don't know where she might be," Shikamaru said, looking a bit strung out. "I mean, she obviously doesn't want to be found, so she wouldn't be at her apartment. Neji's out on a mission but I doubt she'd be with him. And Jou—"

"Who's Jou?" Gaara asked.

"Errr…a friend," Shikamaru said delicately, causing Hinata to smile and Sakura to roll her eyes. "A friend who used to attend the academy with her. Anyway, I Jou's not even in Konoha right now. Snow country or something."

"So we've eliminated people…what about places?" Sakura suggested.

"Well, it certainly doesn't help that Tenten doesn't have any frequent hang outs," Shikamaru muttered. "I honestly don't know where to start looking. We should just split up."

"I can take the northern part of town," Sakura volunteered.

"I can look in the eastern part," Hinata told him.

"I'll look in the western part," Shikamaru said, looking at Gaara. "You can look in the southern part. It's not like we'll be able to search it all, but the sooner we find her, the better."

Gaara nodded, not having any preference. He wasn't really worried about Tenten's physical condition; she could take care of herself. Even though she was prone to good and bad moods like any other person she was very good at not letting things get to her, but lately she'd seemed agitated. And when they'd carried her back from the woods, she'd been practically dead. Shikamaru had filled him in on what had happened, but from the sound of it, she'd been pretty traumatized.

Rain fell steadily as he headed south. He never really cared for rain; even though he could use his sand, it was harder to control and reminded him a lot of being helpless surrounded by water. Even though he felt fairly competent at swimming, he wasn't about to _willingly_.

It was late, so luckily he didn't have to deal with any children pointing, screaming, and running away. A few adults recognized him and scurried away. He really didn't mind anymore; it was worse at home. After one incident in particular, he ducked into a small bar, hoping to find refuge from both the stares and the rain.

_Tenten?_

Gaara felt his eyes widen a bit at the sight of her. Never one to shy away from a social drink, he had never, ever known her to get drunk. Neji; once, and it had taken quite a few threats to keep the details undisclosed. Lee; plenty of times, at least when his companions lacked the foresight to keep him away from alcohol. But Tenten…?

"Hey, Gaara," Tenten murmured, eyes blank and voice listless.

Not quite sure what to do, he decided that it might be best to sit down with her. She had thrown back a few, Gaara noted. Though she wasn't succumbing to the madness that encapsulated Lee within one drink, Tenten was definitely affected. Just by looking at her, he could instantly tell her reaction time was nonexistent. He wondered briefly if she'd fall over if he pushed her arm.

"Have a drink, Gaara," Tenten suggested, shoving one in front of him before he could say anything. Taking a sip, he determined that hard alcohol wasn't meant for sips.

_It's barely meant for consumption_, Gaara thought wryly, grimacing as the liquid burned all the way down. Suppressing the urge to cough, he quickly downed the rest of the glass.

"So…what brings you to a place like this?" Tenten asked airily.

"Uh…it was raining, so I took cover in here," Gaara offered, which was partially truthful. "The others are worried about you."

Tenten chuckled. "But you aren't, right?"

Gaara hesitated. "I'm not concerned about your physical welfare, no."

"Then why are you here?" Tenten asked, puzzled, pausing mid-drink.

"You haven't been yourself lately," Gaara said plainly. "The simple fact that you're in a bar, intentionally trying to get drunk, says volumes. You're not an irresponsible person, but you've run off and worried everyone."

Tenten looked pensive. "I wasn't thinking, I guess," she murmured. "Well, I was thinking of one thing."

"Yourself?" Gaara asked archly, realizing belatedly that perhaps such brutal honesty wasn't what she needed.

Tenten smiled. "Yeah. You're right."

_Or maybe she does_, Gaara thought. "Why are you acting so strangely?"

"I wish I knew," Tenten snorted. "Honestly, ever since I quit ANBU I've been feeling a bit off. It wasn't bad at first, but now that I've had time to think…"

"Think? About what?"

"Just about ANBU, really," Tenten admitted. "Shikamaru probably told you the basics…it's not as if I had a remarkable career with the organization. A few typical escorts and guard duties. Nothing too gruesome; the assassinations weren't that bad. Even the torture incident wasn't enough to make me want to quit."

Gaara had been in to see her with his siblings less than a weak after her confrontation. It had been pretty bad. Her left arm was broken and both were covered in small cuts and welts, as if a reed slapped them. Her back was a bloody mess; apparently she'd been whipped extensively, but Tsunade had assured them all that the scarring would be almost unnoticeable. Someone had put out their cigarettes on her thigh and shoved bamboo shoots under her fingernails. Several ribs were broken and there was poison in her system.

Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. All were common torture practices; he was grateful she had obviously escaped before being sexually assaulted, for most were not as fortunate. For the first time he'd gotten a glimpse of her ANBU tattoo—apparently someone had sliced a line through it. He was beginning to wonder if it had been Tenten herself.

"Why did you quit, then?" Gaara asked, surprised that he was actually curious. Truth be told, as nice and friendly as she was, she kept a lot of things to herself and was more often than not sitting somewhere deep in thought. Not quite secretive, but definitely a bit mysterious.

Tenten blinked, looking down. "You know what my first mission was?" she asked suddenly.

Gaara's eyes widened. "Hm? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything, actually," Tenten replied. "It was a guarding mission. The client wanted us to watch over his son and at the same time make sure he never found out what his father _really_ did for a living."

Gaara found a sardonic smile twisting his lips.

"He was a really bright boy…about seven," Tenten said fondly.

Gaara noted that she spoke of him in past tense, frowning at the implication.

"He loved his father so much…idolized the man, who was a far cry from the saint his son made him out to be," Tenten muttered. "But the client was decent enough, as far as a businessman goes. I was the only female on the mission and the junior member, so the leader assigned me to watch over the kid while they followed the client's orders. I couldn't help but grow attached…he was such a nice kid, and so much energy. Most only children I know are pretty quiet, but this boy was a loudmouth."

"You think only children are quiet?" Gaara asked, off topic but curious. "Naruto's the loudest person I know, and Lee's a close second."

"Lee has a twin," Tenten corrected absently.

Gaara frowned deeply. There was someone running around with D.N.A. identical to Rock Lee? Naturally the idea freaked him out again.

"Most only children I know are quiet, though," Tenten said. "Neji…Shino…even me. I used to be really shy, and Sakura used to be the same way—she's an only child too. I wasn't expecting this boy to be so inquisitive. I couldn't help but like him."

Gaara opened his mouth to comment, but she cut him off.

"I know it's a weakness," Tenten said. "But I didn't let it interfere with my work. No one else noticed how I answered all of his questions and how I told him stories and played games. I was just a glorified babysitter; not the main priority of the mission."

"The whole assignment went well, and we parted ways," Tenten recalled. "Then, almost a year later, there was another mission with his family involved. I had always hoped our paths would cross again, except we were supposed to kill the client this time—just the father, not the boy. Tsunade-sama accepts all missions, and we didn't have a choice. I went along, not knowing what I would do when I got there."

Gaara wondered if she ended up killing the child, but something didn't quite seem like she did.

"Before the assassination, I wrote the boy and told him I was going to visit late that night," Tenten said. "I was hoping to get him away from the house so he wouldn't have to see his father's murder."

"He was happy to see me, but knew something was wrong when he saw my comrades," Tenten said, downing another drink. "I tried to placate him and I thought he'd stayed put. I killed the client….it was quick but it was bloody. It turned out he followed me and witnessed the entire thing. The poor boy ran screaming from the room. I ran after him, and when I caught up to him…"

Tenten paused. She wasn't crying, but she was grieving deeper than shedding tears. Gaara was watching her very spirit diminish before his eyes.

"He was covered with blood and he was pointing at me," Tenten said in a small voice. "I couldn't say anything because I had that finger _accusing_ me of using him and toying with him and not having any morals or feelings…and I realized that he was right. I just stood there, taking every blow, even when he ran over and just whaled on me. The ANBU captain came over and killed him, saying he would wake up the entire compound and bring security down on us."

"I went back, a few days later," Tenten admitted. "I wanted to see his grave…to apologize, I guess. I hadn't meant to use his affinity for me to make him open the door…but I know if I had, I would have. I'm such a terrible person for doing so."

Gaara said nothing, not knowing what to say. He knew he had no right to judge anyone's morals. He also knew he wouldn't have ever been able to be in Tenten's situation—befriending others was not something he did easily, if ever. But if the boy could have let them in and made the mission easier, why not use him? It was to save lives, even though the price was his most precious person.

"His aunt was there at the grave," Tenten said distantly. "She recognized me from the first mission and knew that ANBU had been responsible for her brother's death. She wouldn't let me lay flowers there, wouldn't even let me read the headstones. I had hoped…not necessarily to find forgiveness, but maybe one tiny peace of mind."

"It's rarely easy to do so," Gaara told her quietly.

"Yes, but," Tenten trailed off. "I wanted it anyway."

"And you left ANBU because your captain killed the boy?" Gaara asked her bluntly.

Tenten blinked. "No."

"No?" Gaara was confused. What other reason could there have been?

"I know I'm good at fighting," Tenten said simply. "Better at it than reconnaissance, escorts, healing, and strategy. But I wanted the next time I killed someone to mean something. I wanted it to mean more than a piece of paper…I wanted it to be for the sake of someone I wanted to protect, not for a stranger who paid for my next meal. Onoto was the first person I've killed since I left ANBU, and I did it for myself and for my teammates…my friends."

"Why did you join ANBU in the first place?" Gaara wondered.

"Killing had never really bothered me too much before," Tenten admitted. "I mean, I wasn't bloodthirsty but I had no problem with doing it when necessary and I really don't now. I thought I could handle assassinations and to a certain degree I still can. I just…learned that a reason was important to me."

Tenten downed another drink, as did Gaara.

"ANBU was the logical progression for me as a weapons specialist," Tenten said. "It's a high-paying job that let me travel and kept me excited, but it's not fulfilling to me, not in the way I really need. I should have known when Lee and Neji remained jounins…I guess they knew themselves better than I did."

Gaara scoffed inwardly at Hyuuga knowing himself, but Lee he could understand. He knew Lee had been through a lot but was admirably decisive. Even when it could have meant his death, Lee had steadfastly stuck by his desire to be a ninja.

"I think I'm going to try and visit him again," Tenten muttered. "I don't care if anyone chases me away; I just want to talk to him, even if he can't talk back."

Gaara knew such sentiments weren't uncommon. In fact, he'd seen countless people talking to tombstones…sometimes those of his many victims. When those in mourning looked up and saw him, did talking really ease their pain?

"I miss my teammates," Tenten said almost inaudibly. "I miss the music Lee plays from when we were kids. I miss the way Gai-sensei convinced everyone that he knew nothing but really knew more than anyone I've ever known. And Neji…I miss him period."

"You love him?" Gaara asked, knowing full well there was something between her and his brother.

"I do love Neji, yes," Tenten said softly. "I don't think about him all the time, but he's always in the back of my mind. It started out as a love between friends before turning into a crush, but the original strength of the bond remained. It's evolved over time, but I don't know if I'll ever stop loving him."

"And Kankurou?" Gaara inquired plainly.

"I do have strong feelings for him," Tenten told him. "We haven't figured anything out. We both know in the end it won't work…but we can't help the way we feel. We're in for pain on both sides, eventually, but until then…until then we are still going to have our connection, and maybe it won't ever go away. It isn't destructive or cynical but it's not all sweet and romantic."

"Does Neji know how you feel?" Gaara questioned.

"I don't know," Tenten sighed, taking another drink. "It always gets complicated with him. I can tell everyone else how I feel and everyone else can see it, too, but him…? I can't tell what he knows and what he picks up. I don't know if he cares."

"He cares," Gaara told her. "Of that much everyone is sure. But I can't say how much, and I don't think he can either."

Tenten looked thoughtful. "I need to talk to him sometime," she murmured. "Well, both of them, I guess. At least I'm doing the talking…not them. It'd take twice as long."

Gaara conceded her point. "That's true."

"Ugh, I am going to regret this tomorrow," Tenten muttered, shoving her empty glass away. "The most drinks I've ever had were definitely less than half of this, so I'm probably going to wish I was dead tomorrow. But I guess the important thing is I don't wish I were dead _now_."

"The others are worried; you should return to the hospital," Gaara said. "I'll accompany you."

"To make sure I don't keel over on the way there?" Tenten asked with a small smile. "Or to make sure I don't run off again?"

"I don't think I have to worry about the latter," Gaara said. "You seem to have things worked out for the moment. If you faint outside you're going to drown. It was pouring on the way here."

Tenten nodded. "Let's go back…hopefully we won't run into anyone we know."

**-O-**

Gaara groaned inwardly as Hinata and Sakura shouted at them, rushing over and fawning over their friend. Shikamaru followed behind them, but was content with observing. Tenten smiled reassuringly at the girls, something Gaara had always noticed she'd been quite good at. Sakura was firing questions at her while Hinata was chastising her softly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tenten told them, brushing off their concerns easily. "I just had to get away. Hospitals really aren't my favorite place, you know?"

"Gee, thanks," Sakura grumbled.

"That wasn't personal," Tenten pointed out.

"I know, I know," Sakura muttered. "Let's get you inside. Most of your wounds have healed, but I still don't know how you managed to get out. Where did he find you?"

"It's not important," Tenten told her. She was thankful she'd been drinking vodka—it wasn't as easily detected on her breath but she wasn't taking any chances. "I didn't mean to make you all concerned."

"Don't worry about it," Hinata said kindly. She and Sakura urged the older woman into the hospital, leaving Gaara with Shikamaru.

"So…where _did_ you find her?" Nara asked casually after the girls were gone.

"In a bar," Gaara replied with equal ease.

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm worried about her," he admitted.

"She's not really sure who she is anymore," Gaara commented.

"She's Tenten," Gaara said firmly. "And that's all she needs to be. But I'm not sure if she knows what she wants."

"Maybe it would help if Neji figures that out too," Shikamaru said with a shrug. "We just need something to happen."

"That would certainly fit in with Neji's fatalistic attitude," Gaara said.

"Not necessarily," Shikamaru corrected. "Some things happen because they're inevitable. Other things just happen because of random chance. But there are some events that happen because they _need_ to happen, but those people that need it are the ones that _make_ it happen."

"So we need to _make_ something happen, then?" Gaara asked skeptically.

"I think those two will do it themselves," Shikamaru said confidently. "Not intentionally, of course."

"So everyone just has to wait until they get their lives together?" Gaara asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Everyone is waiting for something, even if they don't know it."

"Sure," Gaara said, without much conviction.

"I'm telling you," Shikamaru told him. "Sometimes the smallest thing can change how you feel…and in return you can change everyone else. They say even a smile can change someone's life."

**-O-**

Gaara made his way back to Naruto's apartment where he'd been staying. The rain was relentless and lightning and thunder shook the sky. He vaguely registered that it was dangerous outside, as several bolts of lightning hit areas right outside of the town. But none of it posed that great a threat to him, so he ignored it for the most part. He was mulling over Shikamaru's words, skeptical and indignant all at once.

_It's ridiculous_, Gaara thought with a scowl. _To think that something as small as a smile has the same impact as something important, like a death or a promotion to leadership?_

The streets were almost completely deserted, except for one other person close by, probably heading towards the same area of apartment complexes that he was. Lightning struck again, illuminating his face. Her eyes widened as they raked over his crimson hair and tattoo. Stiffening, she paused momentarily before continuing on her path, her pace increasing.

"Gaara…" she gasped, face pale. A muscle twitched in his cheek.

_Not again_, Gaara thought inwardly, setting his jaw. Even though he was used to it, it was still a bit disheartening when someone ran away. He tried to shake it off, continuing after the woman on his way to Naruto's place. She glanced behind her, gasping when she saw he was still close. Didn't it occur to her that he was just anxious to get out of the rain?

The woman was almost running now, her boots sending water against the trees as she cut through the park. Gaara found himself in pursuit; just once would someone give him a chance? It was bothering him, he couldn't deny it at this point. He was about to overtake her but wasn't sure what he was going to do when he caught up. Try and talk some sense into her?

The sky lit up brilliantly as a vivid streak of lightning shot across the sky. Realizing the destination, he summoned a quick burst of speed. In what could best be described as a tackle, he knocked the woman out of the way from the falling tree. Falling in a jumbled heap, they felt the tree land less than a foot from them.

Pain sang through his bones as his knee hit the pavement. The icy rain was at odds with how warm he suddenly felt. Starting when he realized how close he was to another person, he lifted his head from where it had embarrassingly fallen against her chest. The slick coating of her parka repelled the rain that fell from his red hair.

From the looks of it, she was older than him, perhaps in her early twenties. She was pretty, but possessed nothing unusual or spectacular such as Sakura's pink hair. Not a large man, Gaara found that she was much smaller than himself. Gaara realized that she'd broken his fall, and moved to hastily get up. She caught his arm, halting his movements. She blinked several times, as did he. There was shame, gratitude, still traces fear, but kindness. Uncomfortable with the close, unfamiliar scrutiny, he averted his gaze.

"Gaara…of the Sand?" she murmured, blunt fingertip tracing his tattoo. He noted absently she didn't have long nails at all.

Standing abruptly, he immediately felt the cold. Not watching, he rather heard her as she got to her feet, the rain falling off her coat and hitting the ground below. Not put off in the slightest by his sudden discomfort, she actually approached him.

Determined not to be intimidated by a stranger, he stood his ground, completely still as her eyes continued to bore into his. The irises were so dark they were nearly indiscernible from the pupil. Once again, he closed his eyes stubbornly, refusing to meet hers.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her fingers brushed over the red hair covering his forehead. Puzzled, his eyes opened wide when he felt her warm lips against his cool skin, on the kanji over his left eye. Eyes meeting his for a fleeting instant, she turned suddenly on her heel and fled.

Gaara watched her go, a strange feeling of euphoria seeping in. His first kiss and it was on the forehead, but it was strangely intimate. He'd managed to change someone's mind…they were even ashamed that they were afraid, not that he could blame them. It had been a few years, but she was definitely old enough to remember his notorious entrance in the chuunin exams.

A genuine smile crept over his face, but he froze when he remembered what Shikamaru said. He couldn't really place why he followed her of all people. She'd just been one more person that was afraid of him. Raindrops continued to sting his face as he watched after her, unblinking. It just didn't make sense…there were others that got over their fear of him…it wasn't like he even knew the person this time.

_It wasn't as though it meant anything,_ he thought. Shaking his head, he sent a spray of rain flying. Not sure whether he wanted to smile or frown, he made his way back to Naruto's apartment.


	10. Hot

**Hot**

By: Sonnie

Tenten had never felt so insulted. She'd been told to her face that she wasn't capable of performing a mission. It wasn't an assassination or a dangerous escort. It was a seduction. At least enough of one to steal the target's I.D. card, weapon, and key before he went back to his nearly impenetrable hotel room. The items would provide easy access so they could retrieve the documents they required.

The worst part was that _Neji_ was the one who said she was incapable. It wasn't enough that he dismissed her abilities as a ninja, but to disregard her appeal as a woman…it was just too much. Tenten didn't care if he put her on suspension, but she was going to be damned if she just let him get away with implying all he did.

And even though she'd never set out to seduce anyone before or even anything remotely like it, how hard could it be?

**-O-**

Neji stood at the bar, eyeing Shikamaru curiously. Outwardly appearing to be his composed, cool self, Neji could see his friend had a slightly elevated heart rate. He _knew_ something and Neji wanted to know what it was. Neji was pretty sure it wasn't good…and had a fairly good idea what it was about.

"Shikamaru…" Neji began innocuously, "You know how I hate surprises—"

"Yes I do," Shikamaru muttered sorrowfully, downing another drink.

"So why is it that I feel like I'm going to get one?" Neji asked innocently, his soft tone belied by the deadly glare he fixed on Shikamaru.

"Fine," Nara snapped. "Tenten's going to be here, alright. Apparently, you have an affect on her—you make her troublesome! She's going to show up and try to prove you wrong. There, it's not a surprise anymore."

"Sakura's doing this mission," Neji said tightly. He looked over to where the pink-haired kunoichi was giggling, batting her eyelashes at their target, Shou Jiri.

"Yes, and she has all the sex appeal of an innocent teenaged girl," Shikamaru countered. "Is that why you picked her?"

"She's prettier than Tenten," Neji reasoned.

Shikamaru laughed. "Frankly, that's an opinion right there. And even though Sakura's my age, she doesn't exactly exude maturity. She's still a girl. Tenten's a woman."

"You sound like you've given this a lot of thought," Neji growled.

"And you haven't given this nearly enough," Shikamaru said with a lazy smile. A little tipsy, he gestured to where Sakura was running towards Neji.

"Sakura?" Neji was confused. "What's wrong?"

"I've been trying to flirt with him for half an hour," Sakura said quickly. "He's outside making a call and could be back any second. I'm not having any luck, though! He said he doesn't want some skinny girl throwing herself at him like a drunken prom date. Neji…he's not some guy our age. He's not much older but he's definitely been around. This isn't going to work! We're just going to have to break in."

"Ino's here," Neji reminded her. "Maybe she can do something."

"Ino's here?" Shikamaru asked. "I let you put together this mission and you drag Ino in on it?"

Neji shrugged. "I picked the two most attractive kunoichis."

"But beauty is subjective," Shikamaru reminded him. "And you should know that beauty doesn't necessarily mean the best, even when the target is a womanizer." He turned to Sakura. "How did Ino do?"

"Shou told her flat out she's too skinny," Sakura said, unable to hide a small smile.

"Well she is," Shikamaru muttered darkly. "And you both had the same strategy of throwing yourselves at Sasuke, so why would one of you have more luck than the other when it came to this unless he just happened to prefer blondes?"

Sakura, about to snap back, was cut off by Neji.

"Sakura, get lost, he's back," Neji murmured as Shou came inside. Sakura nodded and headed back to the dance floor to keep an eye on him. Shou's entourage of women welcomed him back with smiles and outstretched arms.

"Neji, take a good look at those women," Shikamaru said simply. "Those are women he finds attractive…how many of them have the shapeless bodies of Sakura and Ino?"

"You're being awfully hard on them," Neji noted.

"I'm being completely objective," Shikamaru corrected. "Sakura and Ino are intelligent, beautiful girls, but in my mind, they're still _girls_, at least in many respects." Shikamaru's glance swept over the glass door and he smiled. "And to be quite frank, a man doesn't want one of them if he can have one of _those_. I bet you my next annoying A-Rank mission that Tenten will steal all three items when she gets here."

Neji hesitated. Shikamaru rarely made bets, and only did when he was absolutely certain of something. But Neji was the same, and felt confident that Tenten wouldn't be able to succeed where two brighter and prettier kunoichis had failed.

"You're on," Neji said simply, nodding his slightly.

Shikamaru glanced at the door, smiling. "Good, because if Shou can stand up to that, we might have better luck sending you or Sasuke after him next time."

Shikamaru smiled as Neji's eyes widened just the slightest bit when he saw the latest arrival.

**-O-**

Tenten pushed open the door to the bar, a wave of excitement washing over her as the sound of loud, jarring techno hit her ears and bright, colored lights assaulted her vision. A confident twinkle in her eye, she brushed a lock of dark hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist, the light glinting off a gold bracelet.

Tenten's dark eyes flickered over Sakura and the dance floor chatting with Ino, no doubt planning another pass at Shou. The target was currently in the booth at the back corner, his dark gaze met hers. A cool smile touched her lips briefly before she looked away, heading to the bar to order a drink.

"What are you doing here?" Neji hissed, his back to her.

"Proving that I have what it takes to do any mission," she answered calmly. "I don't care if you suspend me."

"Then consider yourself suspended," Neji bit out.

"At least let me have a go," she asked. "I can get all three things; the I.D. card for the hotel elevator, the key to his room itself, and the knife with the attachment that he uses to open the briefcase where he keeps the documents."

"You don't belong here," Neji told her.

"It's not like Sakura or Ino have been successful," she reminded him sharply, indicating towards the two younger girls. "So having me here won't hurt anything." She turned from him abruptly and went further down the bar.

Neji heard rustling behind him and figured she was placing an order. He saw Shikamaru's eyes widen before he turned his head away abruptly.

"Can I buy you a drink?" a low voice asked Tenten quietly.

Neji stiffened. It was Shou. He'd actually come over to the bar to talk to her? Moving further down the bar, he picked a spot where he could observe unnoticed.

"I've already paid for this one," Tenten said coolly to Shou, her shoulders slightly hunched defensively.

"Then I'll get your next one," Shou replied smoothly.

"That depends on if you're still here by then," Tenten said blithely, although she wore a small smile. Neji noted dourly that she wasn't wearing much else. The abbreviated black corset top she wore showed a great deal of her stomach. A delicate chain of gold wrapped around her neck, the end dangling down her middle almost six inches past her waist. A second chain wrapped around her middle, connecting to the first with a wink of twenty four karats at her navel.

_Where did she get those clothes?_ Neji wondered, his eyes lingering at the low waistline of her black leather pants. Shou and Tenten continued to talk, their conversation was audible, even though he wasn't too close.

"What kind of drink is that?" Shou asked her offhandedly.

"Come in my panties," Tenten said, unable to stop a grin. "No lie."

Shou pulled out some money to pay for her next drink. "I've got the rest covered," he said in a low voice. "A drink like that sounds quite pleasurable."

"And that sounds like quite an offer, since you seem so willing to make sure they keep coming."

Neji frowned. He'd never really thought about Tenten in the sexual capacity. As a woman, yes, but as a woman that might possibly be having _sex_ with men…no. He knew over the past two years they hadn't been too close, but this was quite a revelation. This wasn't simple flirtation…it was like a sparring match…with double entendres. It didn't take much for him to accept that she was physically capable as a ninja, but similarly skilled at seducing men?

"But such a drink doesn't really apply to me tonight," Tenten's voice shoved him off his current train of thought before pushing him onto a completely new one. "Because I'm not wearing any panties."

"Oh really?" Shou challenged, his fingertips brushing her hipbone.

"Who said you could touch?" Tenten asked slyly, slinking back. Even though her chest and shoulders were tilted back, Neji could have sworn she looked almost…receptive.

"Who said I couldn't?" Shou countered, leaning back, elbow on the counter.

"I think control is important," Tenten purred, approaching him boldly. "Not every man can resist the urge to touch," Tenten ran her fingers up Shou's abs at an agonizing pace, slowing even further when she reached his chest, "especially when the woman's touching _him_."

Shou's eyes were locked on hers. "But that's giving up an awful lot of power…" he commented, his hand running up her arm. "I happen to like an even playing field." He eyed the dance floor.

Tenten smiled. "Me too."

**-O-**

Shikamaru smiled knowingly as Tenten slipped the I.D. card she'd taken from his front pocket into the back pocket of her pants before sliding off her barstool.

**-O-**

Upon seeing Tenten and Shou, Sakura and Ino fled the dance floor. They went to Neji, who reconvened with Shikamaru.

"You don't have to look so smug," Neji snapped.

"You're the whole reason why she's here," Shikamaru reminded him. "Telling a woman she isn't beautiful enough for a mission—"

"You told Tenten she wasn't beautiful?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"I didn't say that," Neji corrected delicately.

"Fine, just as bad, you told her she wasn't capable of charming a male target," Shikamaru said.

"Oh, that's ridiculous," Ino huffed. "I mean, she's obviously making more progress than us."

Neji's eyes drifted over to the dance floor where Tenten was currently dancing by herself. Shou was watching, apparently entranced. Neji admitted grudgingly that he couldn't blame him. He'd never seen anyone dance so…appealingly.

Neji knew one of the girls was going to nail him for staring (they were currently grilling Shikamaru for the same thing) but he couldn't help himself. The lights were bright and hot and he could see them catch on rivulets of sweat that were running between her breasts, down her stomach. Hair loose for the first time since he'd known her, the dark locks made her tan skin look paler in comparison.

_Ugh, another Green Dragon song_, Neji thought with disgust. Can't _they play any good music?_

Neji hated the song…one, because he couldn't stand the group that sang it, two, because the lead singer was especially irritating, and three, because it was causing his current frustration. This was his former teammate…currently grinding with their target for the evening. Neji would have liked to blame it on the drinks she had, but could tell from the way she moved that she was no beginner to those kinds of dance moves.

Tenten loved to dance like this…it was liberating. Yes, it wasn't outwardly respectable to some, but she always found it fun. Just allowing her body to find the beat in the music, her hips to find the rhythm…it was just so natural. Even when she was practicing "respectable" dancing with Kankurou, it had always gone better when they'd done it to music. Tenten knew she had a job to do, however. Shou was a really good dancer, and she figured she might enjoy herself for awhile as she figured out how she was going to get that knife.

**-O-**

"Go Tenten," Sakura gaped. "I think she's the only girl that can dance like that and not look like a slut."

"Tenten sure can dirty dance," Ino murmured, blushing a bit despite having seen other couples on the dance floor practically grope each other. Shou and Tenten kept their hands strictly at the waist or shoulders, but there was a definite sexual charge…

_Probably from where their hips are grinding,_ Neji thought darkly. His colorless eyes narrowed as Shou's hands closed around her hips. The man was whispering into Tenten's ear as they danced. To his surprise and displeasure, she laughed, her eyes twinkling playfully.

"This is disgusting," Neji snapped, tearing his eyes away.

"But strangely compelling," Ino said absently.

"I think I need a cigarette," Shikamaru muttered, smirking at the dark look on Neji's face.

"Holy shit," Sakura muttered, gasping as she realized what she'd just let slip.

"What?" Neji asked irritably.

"She so just put her hand in his back pocket," Ino answered.

"And she's got the knife!" Sakura squealed, cowering slightly at Neji's glare.

"And yet her hands just keep going back," Shikamaru drawled, eliciting the desired angry look from Neji. He chuckled.

"Well, he does have a nice ass," Ino conceded, right before saddling up next to Shikamaru. "But so do you, Shika-kun."

"T.M.I.! T.M.I.!" Sakura wailed, covering her ears and eyes.

Neji sighed. Weren't they all supposed to be adults?

"I wonder where his key is," Shikamaru wondered out loud.

"It's in his front pocket," Sakura said airly, her eyebrow raised. "If Tenten does _that_ on the dance floor, I think she should get a medal."

"Well, if they keep at it, she's going to get something tonight," Ino commented dryly.

"She's not going to make a move for the key in front of everyone," Shikamaru said confidently. "She'll wait until they're alone. I mean, if he invites her back to his place, she doesn't need anything else."

Sakura could feel the waves of anger rolling off Neji liberally. She knew he wasn't very pleased about Tenten being there, but she was doing a better job than the rest of them. Having her steal the objects off made it easier to retrieve the documents, the main objective of their mission. Was he just mad that she went against his orders or that she was dancing with a strange guy?

**-O-**

"Want to get a drink?" Tenten asked Shou after the next song ended. They'd been dancing a long time and she was thirsty.

"Sure," Shou said, nodding. Slinging an arm around her waist, Tenten winced when she realized how sweaty she must be. Even though the target wasn't an angel, he wasn't the usual scumbags she had to deal with in her typical missions. He just happened to have possession of documents a client wanted.

Ordering a simple (and cheaper) strawberry daiquiri this time, Tenten could tell by Neji's dark look that she had to try for the keys as soon as possible. Glancing at her watch, she was actually surprised at the time. No wonder Neji had looked so pissed.

"It's really late," Tenten murmured softly to Shou.

"Want to come back to my place?" Shou asked her softly.

"If I leave with you your green-eyed entourage is going to tear me apart," Tenten told him. "I couldn't count all the dirty looks they gave me just when you bought me a drink."

"Here," Shou said, dangling the room key in front of her. "I can ask for another at the front desk. Besides, it'll look nice with my keycard and pocket knife, don't you think?"

Tenten couldn't help it—her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You knew?"

"Yeah, but you were a lot better than those two other girls," he told her. "You're after the Takagusa documents, right? Why don't you just return my knife? It used to be my dad's.'

Woodenly, Tenten returned it. He motioned for the keycard and she pressed it into his palm.

"I had a good time tonight," Shou said, leaning in to kiss her neck. "See you 'round."

Tenten sat down at the bar, watching absently as Shou and his group left. He gave her a wink as he approached.

_I've just been played,_ Tenten sighed, angry and upset at the same time.

Leaning over, he whispered something into her ear. Dropping something heavy onto the table next to her, he left without another word.

**-O-**

Tenten felt Neji sit down next to her.

"Want another drink?" he asked icily. "What was it you had earlier?"

"Stop it, Neji," Tenten sighed. "You were right. I couldn't do it. Shou knew I was after him for the documents. I had to give everything back before he caused a scene. Are you happy?"

"No, because it means that this whole evening was wasted," Neji said irritably.

"No," Tenten shook her head. She looked detached from everything, much different than she'd been earlier that night. If he weren't so mad, Neji might have been concerned.

"How do you figure that?" Neji asked harshly.

Tenten blinked. Holding up the documents they'd been hired to retrieve, she dropped them on her lap.

"You got them?" he asked, surprised.

Tenten nodded, her face devoid of any expression.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked finally, not liking the blank look in her eyes.

"You were right," she murmured. "I wasn't able to overwhelm him with my charm. He knew exactly what I was doing from the moment I walked in. He was humoring me the whole time."

"Then why did he give you the documents?" Neji asked.

Tenten felt a small smile stretch her lips. "I'm a good dancer."

"A good dancer?" Neji asked, puzzled.

"Actually, he said I was a great one," Tenten said softly. Without another word, she slid off her barstool. "I've had a bad night. I'm going to dance it off with the girls. Goodnight, Neji."

Throwing on a huge grin, Tenten went over to Ino and Sakura and showed them the documents. Squealing, they both congratulated her and they all went to the dance floor. Neji felt something heavy land in his stomach at the pain he saw behind her smile. He absently realized that not so long ago, he'd promised he'd dance with her the next time the situation presented itself. He frowned, realizing that he'd somehow managed to mess up again.

Neji looked up in time to see Shikamaru shaking his head.

"You have to take my next A-Rank mission," Neji said after a moment, partially to rid himself of the disheartening image of Shikamaru's disappointment.

"She got the document," Shikamaru pointed out. "So it shouldn't matter if she didn't technically steal all three things. Besides, she's still the reason we have them. I hope that's enough for you…I don't think it's enough for her."


	11. Concerto

**Concerto**

By: Sonnie

Neji felt like a pawn in a twisted chess game. Shikamaru had instructed him to attend a concert with Temari and monitor one of their client's enemies. But he knew for a fact that at least one other ninja would be in attendance; why couldn't _they_ collect information? It was an observation assignment only, not worth his time and hardly worth any money.

"Why do I even have to go with someone else?" Neji had asked, not really having a problem with Temari but not liking her in particular. Of all the kunoichi he was acquainted with she was the least familiar to him. At least she was smart, but personality wise… "And why with Temari?"

"I'll up your pay," Shikamaru said, uncharacteristically avoiding the question. "You can handle a concert, can't you?"

Neji's frown seemed to bounce right off of Shikamaru's spiky head. "As long as it's not a musical," he conceded finally. The thought of people dancing around onstage and randomly bursting into song promised a headache and one hell of a bad mood.

"You'll be listening to an orchestra," Shikamaru told him. "You know, Elegant, formal, and rich…and probably boring as hell; no singing, I'm sure. And I promise you won't have fun of any kind."

_It'll be just like a Hyuuga family function,_ Neji thought inwardly, unable to prevent a small grimace. Ignoring the older man's obvious discomfort, Shikamaru pressed on.

"The finest musicians in all of Wind Country," the jounin recited loftily. "It's an orchestra unparalleled by any other."

"Perhaps I should just read the advertisement myself," Neji remarked dryly. "Are they paying you or something?"

"No, no," Shikamaru assured him, shaking his head. "No Green Dragon dance floor hits. I promise you won't hear one Green Dragon lyric the whole night. Yes, I know that breaks your heart…you being such a big fan of pop music."

Neji scowled. He was still sore about Tenten's escapades at the club and absolutely despised most types of music. Occasionally, Tenten would practice her taijutsu to rock music; he'd criticized her for doing something so silly but always found himself watching. Still, that didn't mean he liked the music…

"I'll go, but you have to tell me why I have to go with Temari," Neji said after a moment.

"Okay," Shikamaru agreed, a little too easily. "She was the only kunoichi available and you need a date!"

Neji's lip curled in a sneer. "A date?"

"Yes," Shikamaru replied cheerily. "After all, you look much less conspicuous that way. No one attends a concert like that alone."

Neji rolled his colorless eyes. This was going to be _hell_.

-O-

Formal outfits were not Neji's friend. Of course, it was perfectly tailored to his body and not one of those pathetically ridiculous second-hand suits Naruto wore. As much as he protested confinement, Neji prospered in situations that required restraint and control. While he found formal events boring, he never found them difficult to abide by. He knew exactly what was expected of him and found that was what he liked best.

Neji remembered his teammates and how they had always coped with such events. Tenten had grown up fairly poor, the daughter of a single parent. Her father had died right before she joined ANBU, but Neji had been on a mission and the funeral had taken place in his absence. Still, she was always somehow better adjusted than Lee.

Lee…Neji had always snubbed him as being wretchedly middleclass. Lee's parents were both ninjas, both dying before Lee even became a jounin, and his twin had even gone to the ninja academy before dropping out. Lee himself was never a bad ninja but Neji knew he'd never be able to give Lee the credit he rightfully deserved. His exuberance always alienated him around people, something Neji knew he was partially responsible for.

_I've never been nice to Lee, even though of all the people in my life he probably has had the most positive effect, _Neji thought._ Lee…always hoped that Tenten and I would…end up together. I'm sure he still wants us to._

Neji shook his head. Lee was a moron, pure and simple. He'd concede that perhaps the assessment was a bit unfair, but Rock Lee possessed zero restraint, strategy, and cleverness.

_Nothing is as simple as he seems to think it can be, _Neji thought ruefully. _The world doesn't work like that. It isn't as simple as telling someone how you feel. Humans need their pride and admitting feelings strips them bare until their vulnerability can completely undo them. Rejection is capable of causing madness and a complete lack of judgment…there's no dignity in that._

_And Tenten…the way she was acting the other day in that club…it was shameful_. _Was it to make me jealous? Was it to prove me wrong? Or does she want to seduce me?_

Neji realized that women were indeed as troublesome as Shikamaru thought. He had the feeling that Shikamaru actually knew a lot about them and didn't find them nearly as confusing as he did frustrating and just plain annoying. But Neji didn't have a clue in hell as to what they were really thinking, least of all Tenten.

"This is stupid," Neji grumbled out loud.

"We're not even there yet and you're whining," a voice said from the doorway.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Neji asked tiredly, not even turning to greet Temari.

"Do you know how to have a good time?" Temari countered. "Jeez, it's not like we're getting married. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

Gritting his teeth, Neji turned to her and fixed her with a withering glare. Narrowing her eyes back, Neji thought it was nice to know it still affected someone. Shikamaru, Lee, and Tenten had all built up immunity.

"I hate concerts," Neji muttered.

"Me too," Temari agreed. "I hate all that classic junk."

"I'm not much of a music fan, period," Neji grunted.

"Shikamaru mention something about the Green Dragons?" Temari asked slyly.

"Does everyone know I hate that group?" Neji asked tiredly. "But yes, he assured me there would be none of their dreaded songs."

"Really?" Temari asked, smiling widely. Handing him a poster advertising the show, he grit his teeth.

_Summer's Already Gone: Green Dragons Symphonic Concert. The ladies of the Green Dragons play their most beloved music without lyrics, proving they don't need words to mesmerize us!_

_That tricky little…he deliberately used the word 'lyric' and not 'music,' "_ Neji thought darkly. I'm going to have to listen to their music all night long. I'm going to kill that scrawny shinobi when I get back.

"God, they really need a new publicist," Temari grumbled, crinkling the paper into a ball. "That tagline was terrible."

"Actually, the lead singer wrote it," Neji answered, causing Temari to lift a brow. "Tenten knows her and she said she just fired the manager."

"Wait, I did hear that," Temari said. "I heard he was a dick. He supposedly never let them play what they wanted to. But hey, I guess they can play whatever they want tonight, as long as they want."

Neji felt like he died had gone to hell, except he was brought back to life just so he could feel pain again. "I _hate_ her," Neji grumbled after a moment. "The lead singer, she used to go to the academy and we've loathed each other since the very first day."

"Really?" Temari asked, surprised. "Why's that?"

"It's not up for discussion," Neji said, apparently with enough finality that she did not persist in questioning him further.

"Fair enough," Temari complied with a shrug. "Let's go. I want to get settled before too many people get there. Crowds are _yuck_."

-O-

Neji leafed through the program for what must have been the forth time, eyes occasionally drifting over their mark. As he did with mostly all people, Neji found him to be incredibly boring. Rich, powerful, corrupt, et cetera…he pretty much fit the cliché mold of a middle-aged businessman, complete with a woman that was way too attractive given his age adhering to his arm like it was her lifeline.

"Too bad he's not as good looking as your last assignment," Temari muttered next to him, eyes glancing at him and rolling with disgust. "Shikamaru mentioned that he and Tenten were totally getting totally hot and heavy."

Scowling, Neji turned to her slowly. "Tenten isn't here tonight, so that's one thing I don't have to worry about," he said evenly.

"Oh, so you were worried?" Temari asked triumphantly.

Neji frowned. "I was only concerned about her dignity," he amended. "And besides, she's not here, so drop it."

"Actually, think again," Temari said with a cackle. She pointed across the auditorium, to where a couple had just entered. "There she is, and she's not alone."

_Kankurou?_ Neji was perplexed when he saw on whose arm Tenten was clinging. Perhaps clinging was unfair a word, more like holding…but still, whatever it was, he wasn't pleased. It was physical contact, and that was all he needed to be irritated. He felt the irrational urge to just yank the two apart.

Neji had begun to suspect a long time ago that his feelings ran stronger than friendship, than simple protectiveness, but he really wasn't sure how strong until he saw her with someone else. A part of him felt that it was he who belonged with her, no one else. It wasn't quite as strong as jealousy, but it was reaching that point, especially with the men whom he suspected meant a lot to her. Even her friendship with Shikamaru was getting to him.

_It's scandalous, sharing an apartment like that_, Neji thought furiously, remembering the time he'd come to discuss a mission with the lazy ninja only to find he wasn't living alone. Shikamaru had answered the door without a shirt on, garbed in a pair of black ninja pants. An angry Tenten had yelled something from the other room, the topic of conversation making it obvious she hadn't heard Neji come in.

"_Shikamaru, you're wearing my pants again!"_

"_You wear mine; fair's fair."_

"_But you look better in my pants than I do!"_

"_I look better in both our pants," Shikamaru pointed out, whether completely ignoring Neji on purpose or by accident, the Hyuuga couldn't tell. "I wish you'd stop stretching mine out."_

"_Are you implying that my ass is big?" _

"_What else would I have been implying?" Shikamaru retorted, sporting a slight smirk._

"_That was low, Shikamaru," Tenten told him, voice muffled. A pause, then she continued with a sly lilt. "Maybe I should just tell all the guys how much you like wearing my pants. That's a lot weirder than me liking to wear yours. You think they make your ass look good when in fact, you have no ass. You're flat as a board back there."_

_Shikamaru glanced over at Neji sheepishly, who, despite the situation, still found a perverse pleasure in Shikamaru's woes. A muscle in the younger ninja's cheek twitched and he straightened up to deliver his next blow. "Well, it's better to have a small ass than a big one!"_

_Something dropped in the other room, and Tenten came storming out. An iron in one hand and a shirt in the other, she looked absolutely lethal except for the fact that she wasn't wearing any pants. Clad in a black tank top, a jounin flak jacket, and a pair of unreasonably sexy but completely plain black cotton underwear, she froze when she noticed Neji._

"_Yeah…I forgot to mention we had company," Shikamaru told her, voice unusually bright. _

_Tenten blinked once, twice. _

"…_Uh, hi, Neji…Shikamaru, you're a dead man…and I think I should get back to ironing now," Tenten said after an awkward moment. No one had moved. Neji was never one to diffuse embarrassing situations and Shikamaru was trying unsuccessfully to quell his laughter. _

"_Hey, Tenten," he said breathlessly, trying to stop chuckling enough to speak, "Do you still want to wear my pants? I can take them off right here, but Neji might see me in my underwear…"_

"_Here, you can iron this shirt yourself with your flat, shapeless ass!" Tenten growled. "Lazy bum!"_

_Shikamaru successfully swatted away the shirt she whipped at him, managing to look apologetic enough for her to leave. As soon as Tenten walked rather stiffly from the room, he lost it and gave in to the humor of the situation. Loud laughter erupted unrepentantly. A hand appeared around the corner and Shikamaru yelped as narrowly dodged a hot iron._

"_You missed me," Shikamaru grinned. The smile faded as he fell victim to the ironing board, which Neji smoothly sidestepped. Landing in a heap, Shikamaru looked up at Neji, sighing. "I was just starting to have some fun and she goes and gets mad. Women are so troublesome."_

_Indeed they are_, Neji thought grumpily. Even though he was certain that Tenten and Shikamaru weren't sleeping together, they were certainly too comfortable around each other. It reminded him of how two people could be very close but remain platonic, something Hinata had tried to explain when he'd asked her if she was seeing Kiba.

_Shikamaru and Tenten respect each other, care about each other, even go out together regularly…Like…a couple. He trusts her almost as much as he does Chouji, and she trusts him almost as much as she trusts Lee. She sure as hell doesn't flirt with Lee…_

Neji set his jaw, confident that Tenten wouldn't ever love Lee romantically but rather unconvinced that if left alone, she and Shikamaru would remain just friends. He'd heard an interesting story about the two of them having a rather wild night in Rain country after sharing a bottle of tequila. It didn't sit well.

_I know that both Ino and Temari like Shikamaru…but who's to say that he really cares about them? He obviously talks to Tenten more…why don't they get more jealous? It's not like they aren't the jealous types…although there was that one time the girls thought he and Tenten were making out…_

Neji winced when he recalled their shrill, accusing voices shrieking at optimum volume as they pointed at Tenten and Shikamaru's apartment complex. Their silhouettes were backlit from their apartment (another thing that irked Neji, the more he thought about it) made it appear as if they were passionately making out.

_Tenten advanced on Shikamaru, her back to the window and obscuring most of Shikamaru's rather skinny frame. Her hands came up to grip his face, tilting it to get a better angle. The girls were practically banshees at this point, faces turning ashen when Tenten pushed Shikamaru backwards over a desk and straddled his waist. With his bloodline, Neji could clearly see through the wall, noting that Tenten's hand was actually adjusting a lamp so she could find the eyelash in his eye._

After many, many explanations to the disbelieving girls (seriously, when had he ever been accused of lying?) they let it drop, but both gave Tenten dark looks the next time they saw her. And Neji…he had looked at her the same as he always did. Indifferently, coolly, apathetically.

_And now…I can't keep ignoring the way she looks and how it affects me_, Neji thought, chest tightening as she laughed at something Kankurou whispered in her ear. The couple sat down a row in front of him on the opposite side. He wondered why they hadn't seen him yet before it occurred to him that Shikamaru probably hadn't told them of his presence. They were the ones supposed to be enjoying the night off.

_I guess I'd ruin their evening_, Neji mused, not sure if he was pleased by that realization, wanting very much to foil Kankurou but not at all desiring to upset Tenten. Like everyone else, he noticed she hadn't been acting like herself lately and was a bit concerned.

The house lights dimmed, and Neji turned his attention to the stage, aware of the niggling inclination to glance over at Tenten. He vaguely acknowledged that a confrontation was inevitable as he sat in the darkness. He noted Temari was glancing over at the couple with interest.

_She's probably hoping they'll stay together so she leaves Shikamaru alone_, Neji reasoned.

"I don't understand why we have to stand for this guy," Temari grumbled under her breath as the crowd rose to applaud the conductor. "He doesn't even do anything."

Neji shrugged at her assessment, knowing it to be unfair but also knowing she wasn't very knowledgeable about music. "The conductor's important because each member of that entire orchestra is relying on him for everything but their own talent. He has to have an intimate understanding of the material and the trust of every member, or the orchestra will fall apart."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this," Temari whispered, ignoring the dirty look of a woman sitting to her right.

"Well, think about Shikamaru for a moment," Neji explained. "His talents are different than ours, but no less valuable. He is even regarded with higher prestige because of his understanding of the situation. His position is higher than ours during missions but the success or failure of the mission falls on him. Similarly, if a flautist comes in too early it is the conductor that takes the blame."

"I thought you didn't like music," Temari scowled at him, not liking at all how much more he seemed to know that she did.

"I don't, I just happen to know a lot about it," Neji replied. For the first time, he got over his revulsion and accomplished the task he dreaded; finding that wretched woman from the Green Dragons. He scanned the musicians, eyes narrowing when they found her.

"You find her yet?" Temari asked when she caught sight of his expression. Following his gaze, she frowned. "That's her? Why's everyone so excited over her and her stupid band?"

Neji honestly couldn't answer her question. Musical passion fell into the category of emotion, something he had always and continued to shun. He didn't care that he wasn't expressive, but watching Tenten and Kankurou become lost in the music together was making him wonder if maybe she might.

_I heard Shikamaru tell her that I wasn't able to convey my feelings,_ Neji recalled. _But suppressing emotions and not feeling them are different things. I've never cared that I couldn't before; perhaps the one thing I was inept at that never bothered me. But is an emotionally articulate person what Tenten wants or needs? I've always been this way and until recently it never mattered._

"Oh shit," Temari hissed, grabbing his arm and startling him out of his very sudden and uncommon reverie. "I think Kankurou saw us. He's not looking now, but you can bet he's going to look back here when this song ends. What are you going to do?"

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Neji asked her icily. "Run away?"

"Well, no, that's not what I meant," Temari said. "Isn't she going to get, like, jealous or something?"

"She's here with someone else, why would she be jealous?" Neji asked with voice full of irritating logic. "Do you mean just because I'm here with you?"

"Honestly, all men are so dense," Temari huffed, once again drawing glares. "Fine, let her see you here."

Neji said nothing, not really sure exactly what the blonde haired kunoichi meant. Ninety five percent of the time she was painfully blunt; bordering on rude and not caring what others thought nor valuing subtlety. But when Temari attempted tact she was just incomprehensible and confusing.

"No, don't let her catch you looking at her," Temari hissed, yanking on his arm, causing him to jerk towards her. Not releasing him until apparently Tenten and Kankurou had turned around or whatever they were doing, she dropped his arm and sighed in relief.

"Could you perhaps explain what that just was?" Neji asked her coolly.

"She might know you're here now, and if she doesn't, my brother does," Temari explained. "But if she caught you looking at her, she would have assumed you've spent this whole concert looking at her. Even though you actually were," (Neji raised a skeptical brow) "we can't let her think that. Now, if she saw actually saw you, you're okay, since you looking away and she won't know you saw her and next time you catch her eye she'll be looking at _you_."

"And why do I care?" Neji wondered out loud. Temari's run-on sentences were barely coherent.

Temari rolled her eyes, thankful the song was over so the applause covered her bored yawn. "It's a girl thing."

"Which explains why I feel no different," Neji muttered.

"These things need to be carefully planned," Temari admonished.

For being rather abrasive and pushy, Temari was certainly a woman in all the stereotypical ways that Neji imagined; when it came to romantic matters, she was really nosy and frighteningly similar to her rival, Ino. She had all these silly illogical notions that were so nuanced that Neji couldn't possibly see them relating to Tenten—an average-looking kunoichi who never had much use for the typical scene of dating and romance. How could she fall into those stale trappings when everything about her was always so kinetic; even the way she entered the room was like a fresh burst of liveliness, smiling and spontaneous and positively charged with energy.

Except here of late, she was like a somnambulist, drifting through the halls of his mind like a sleepwalker, echoing very much how she was in real life. The spark was gone; the reasonable explanation being there was nothing to strike them up.

Using his tremendous self-control, Neji tried valiantly to suppress these kinds of thoughts until the concert was over. He was here for the sake of the mission, the target of which was snoring rather loudly from his seat two rows up. Neji didn't delude himself that he would be able to slip away; he knew that afterwards he and Temari would have to speak with Tenten and Kankurou—anything else would be downright rude. And if Tenten saw him, she would want to prove that he hadn't rattled her cage and he would want to prove the same.

A new song began, this melody starting out slow and light, dancing gently across his senses, as much as he allowed. He still wasn't a fan and never would be, but the songs always made him think of Tenten listening to them when they were growing up. He knew this to be one of her favorites before he even saw her smile at Kankurou and whisper the same thing. But Neji knew it was only her third favorite, something so inane and silly and so Tenten, as she explained very carefully that she had two other songs she liked more, but only by a little bit.

Neji recalled the summer it was released; Tenten and Lee were twelve and he had just turned thirteen. It was the first song the Green Dragons actually wrote, penned by the lead singer herself. Lee had been so proud of his sister, telling Neji how Jou would one day be a famous musician.

"_I doubt it, Lee. Just because she's your twin sister doesn't mean that you can make her into more than she is if she isn't destined for greatness."_

…_Unfortunately, her obscurity was not meant to be,_ Neji glowered inwardly, _and now the little witch has just created a soundtrack that catalogs our entire failed relationship from when I'm sure she first started to have feelings from me._

As if to mock his current predicament, Jou sat onstage. Temari figured out this was the singer everyone was talking about, clearly unimpressed due to the face she made. Temari judged others on strength, and Lee's sister was pretty much on the weak end of the scale. Shorter than Ino, more fragile-looking than Sakura, and even more cutesy than Hinata, Jou seemed like the type of person that would buckle under the stress of holding a soap dish.

"Huh, I don't see what the big deal is," Temari grumbled, eyeing the girl. "All these songs are so-so. She's not even that pretty."

_Prettier than her brother_, Neji conceded, wincing as the image of Rock Lee forced itself into his mind, _but that's not saying much._

"It's a symphonic concert, Temari, and without the words most songs can be boring," Neji pointed out. He was getting tired of her whining, but she probably wasn't used to sitting still and silent for two hours. They were well over halfway done, a fact for which Neji was grateful.

Still, he wasn't sure if Tenten had seen him or not and the uncertainty was driving him steadily insane. He wasn't used to feeling anxious, and even though the feeling was so minor it was nearly unnoticeable he was still unnerved. The whole night he hadn't been acting like himself, and he wasn't sure how the concert would end if he didn't get his act together.

"Ugh, look at that green dress," Temari grimaced, making a sour face. "She looks like Rock Lee."

"They're twins," Neji told her, hoping to shut her up. It was taboo to discuss family with other ninja, especially other peoples' families to ninjas of other villages, but Neji was losing patience and seriously doubted Temari would go after her, no matter how much she hated the music…though Neji couldn't say for sure if he would mind if she did.

"Ew, he's got a twin?" Temari asked in shocked disgust. "Rock Lee has a twin?"

"Shut up, Temari," Neji said finally.

Out of shock, Temari complied, her troubled gaze going back to Jou before she shuddered. The rest of the concert she was silent, listening more closely to the music perhaps to ascertain if maybe Jou had slipped a variation of the "Sexy" theme into one of the songs.

Neji, on the other hand, was trying to ignore the urge to look at Tenten, but his brain wouldn't let him think about anyone else. He supposed it was the disadvantage to having such a focused, one-tracked mind. And it didn't help that each song that Jou played brought back a memory of when he, Lee, and Tenten shared an uncomplicated relationship.

_And now…do I want it all back? _Neji asked. Is it that I want Tenten back so it can be the way it was? Do I want to regain what I've lost? I've never had what Tenten and Kankurou might have, but what if that's what I want? How is a person supposed to know what they want?

"I never pegged you as much of a thinker," Temari muttered, noting his furrowed brow.

Neji briefly considered a retort but wisely ignored her. He was trying to make progress with his thoughts and she wasn't helping.

"Maybe you're just thinking too much," Temari suggested. "It is possible to over think, you know."

"This isn't the time or the place," Neji warned, "or really, any of your business."

"I've got a stake in this too, you know," Temari told him firmly. "And while I'm still rooting for my brother, if you get your act together he's going to lose. Look, I figure if they break it off early, there's less pain all around. Just…let go for once. You're so uptight no wonder you're not making any progress."

Neji paused as her words sunk in. He didn't give any indication that he heard them but his mind acknowledged that they held some truth. He continued his campaign of ignorance but was secretly wondering if perhaps she was onto something. Sure, it was her policy when it came to Shikamaru and she was getting nowhere with him, but he and Tenten were nothing alike so it might work, even on a theoretical level.

Neji felt an uncharacteristic sense of freedom when he realized what he needed to do. Reality came crashing down when he realized that winning someone over was something he'd never before attempted. But he refused to see something that every fiber of his being told him was his belong to someone else, and he realized that pride wouldn't stand for much if he had to deal with his current feelings of resentment every time he saw her for the rest of his life.

_This has got to be something I do on my own,_ Neji swore firmly. _If Kankurou can do it alone, I will too. Besides, does anyone really know what they're doing when it comes to this kind of thing?_

_Kiba? No. Shino, does anyone know if he knows? Hinata, what a joke. Chouji? Well, I'm not going after food, so no. Ino, no way in hell. Shikamaru? I'd rather throw a kunai through my foot. Naruto? Never, and that's final. Sakura, more likely, but still definitely not. And Lee…? _

'_Lee's an idiot'_ being the first thought that jumped into Neji's head, he had to remind himself that the phrase automatically leapt to his mind _every_ time he thought about his old teammate. Lee hadn't won Sakura's love, but he had won over her respect and affection despite the fact her heart was devoted to Sasuke.

_Well, at least I don't have that to contend with,_ Neji thought gratefully. He frowned when he remembered she had called him cute, but that was many years ago. Since the only person in her life who vaguely fit the role of Sasuke in Sakura's was him, he was relieved that he didn't have all the obstacles that Lee did.

"Hmm, this concert isn't quite so bad, I just wish I knew what the words were," Temari murmured next to him. "God, I bet they're all about boys and stuff."

Neji said nothing, not wanting to reveal exactly how much he knew about them. It was bad enough his friend was the brother of the lead singer, but to betray his knowledge of their entire music repertoire, whether gained voluntarily or not, still didn't sit well with him. All it did was remind him how much he actually had paid attention to her without either of them realizing it.

"Ooh, the last song, maybe this will be better," Temari said hopefully.

Neji was just thankful that he'd been so distracted he didn't really hear much music all night, though he wasn't sure if his alternative had been any better for him. In the past hour and a half, he'd promised that he would take an active role in the events transpiring around Tenten and himself. Putting his dignity on the line was a lot riskier than suffering through a string of irritating pop songs.

This song was Tenten's second favorite; he actually saw her smile excitedly at the first few piano cords. Neji took some solace in the fact that her smile wasn't for Kankurou, but for the music. At least she had been concentrating on it all night, probably enjoying herself immensely. She used to always hum this song whenever they went to their training ground, and it had been the only song he never asked her to stop singing.

Temari looked utterly dismayed at the look of happy abandon on Jou's face as she played; her smile wider than ever and her green dress catching the light. Her movements were so free but deliberate, a sign of how deeply immersed she was in what she was playing and Neji wondered if even Temari ever felt that comfortable when she was doing what she did best.

The song came to an end, rather gently for starting out so bold. Jou rose from the piano and smiled broadly as she gestured to her fellow band mates all on their own instruments before taking a bow. Enthusiastic cheers filled the room as they had for every song, but this time it was different. It was the final song, and the standing ovation brought everyone to their feet. Jou was irritatingly excited, applauding her fellow musicians and laughing with her band mates as she scanned the audience.

"Doesn't it bother you that you spent an entire concert not paying the slightest bit of attention to the performers?" Temari asked him.

Jou had caught sight of Neji, rolling her eyes and making a sour face at him.

"No."

Temari shrugged, applauding politely but not enthusiastically. Familiar with their dreadful music, Neji knew they were playing for a more conservative audience and therefore any music of theirs she might have enjoyed was not in the program. Not that it mattered to him, as each song had been equally excruciating as the next.

Spotting Tenten in the audience, Jou beamed and gave a rather large, blatantly unprofessional but woefully Rock Lee-like wave.

Everyone around her turned to stare, causing the normally easy-going Tenten to actually blush. Looking around sheepishly, she was smiling to cover up her embarrassment until she met Neji's eyes. Not filled with the dazzled awe and curiosity of everyone else's, they were just like they always were.

Neji wondered if that was, perhaps, why her smile disappeared.

**-O-**

Tenten felt all the color drain out of her face as she stared into the cold, snow-colored eyes of Neji. Similar to its comparison, she felt the warmth being leeched out, replaced by something she couldn't quite place. Every time she saw him her stomach did a little flip, but this was different.

_Why is Neji here?_ Tenten wondered. _Is Kankurou going to be mad? Is Neji spying on me? No…why would he? He doesn't care enough to pry into my life, so why's he even here? Why's he with Temari? Damn it, this is all Shikamaru's fault! Of all the people, why does he have to be the one meddling in our relationship?_

"Are you okay?" Kankurou asked her carefully. He had seen Neji a moment ago; he suspected that Tenten had picked up on his presence at least on the subconscious level, for she'd been agitated since the concert began. Despite the Green Dragons being her favorite group, she still hadn't been able to fully relax, and upon seeing Neji knew exactly why.

"I'm fine, it's just I wasn't expecting to see them, that's all," Tenten replied, hoping she sounded as reassured as she could.

"I'll bet Shikamaru is responsible for this," Kankurou said, his voice suspiciously neutral. Despite Sand and Leaf's closeness over the past few years, he never got friendly with the skinny ninja from Konoha. Though he never disapproved of him, he and Shikamaru were never close; everyone in his family had issues trusting other people, and Shikamaru never went out of his way to make friends.

"I'll bet he is too," Tenten muttered, looking uncharacteristically angry. Though she could swing back and forth between moods like the next person, she was rarely infuriated. It wasn't pretty, and Kankurou could feel the strong urge to move away.

"Shikamaru, you have a lot of explaining to do," Tenten murmured, almost inaudibly. Though she and Neji hadn't totally alienated themselves from each other, things between them fell between the adjectives uncomfortable and agonizing. If Shikamaru had been there, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stifle the urge to run onstage, grab a violin, and smash it over his spiky head.

"Well, they're over there and we're over here, so we'll make them come to us," Kankurou reasoned. "The crowd's going to take some time to disperse, so don't worry about it until then. Look, I know how you still feel about Neji, and I bet my sister is here on some official business."

_Well, in all fairness, for the amount of time I spend with Shikamaru, it wouldn't be that outrageous if in a jealous fit she threw herself at Neji, seeing as how Kankurou's her brother,_ Tenten reasoned. _I mean, Shikamaru and I do live together, albeit platonically, but she handles it a lot better than I would if she and Neji decided to shack up…_

"Thanks, Kankurou," Tenten told him gratefully.

"Thanks for what?" he asked, puzzled.

"For such wonderful evening," Tenten told him truthfully.

"It's going to be our last like this, isn't it," he murmured, more a statement than a question. His arm was still around her, but neither of them minded. It was more a comfort to them both than anything.

"I'm sorry, but everything's too painful," Tenten said. "I can't handle being formally attached to anyone right now, not even him. I think about him all the time, but before we do anything we need to reacquaint ourselves. It may not be that either of us has really changed, but I feel like I don't know him anymore. It happened so slowly I guess I didn't notice."

Tenten let out a shaky breath then looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Kankurou," Tenten told him quietly. "It's all my fault. You're still very important to me; that won't change."

"As long as I can practice my waltz with you," Kankurou told her gamely, gracefully hiding the pain he felt.

"As long as you don't mind my stepping on your feet," Tenten murmured weakly.

Not wanting her to start crying (especially with Neji on the way over), Kankurou kissed her forehead. "You know, for as screwed up as this whole thing is, we did okay."

Tenten nodded. "We lasted longer than we both thought."

"That's true," he admitted.

"And even though we think we feel good now, we really don't," Tenten said. "Tomorrow we'll both be feeling awful, I can just tell."

"Yes, well, that usually happens when two people break up," Kankurou said tightly, his eyes following the approach of Neji and Temari. Temari was tough to fool; he knew he had to act very carefully lest she find out right away. An easier feat for him than, say, Tenten, but still not easy outright.

"Hey, did you two enjoy the concert?" Tenten asked them politely, gratefully squeezing Kankurou's hand a bit tighter than she realized.

"Not really, since I think songs are pretty boring without lyrics," Temari said offhandedly, ignoring the indignant stares of those around her.

"How about you, Neji?" Tenten asked with a small smile on her lips. "I know how much you like Jou."

"I'd be quite content if she fell off the face of the earth," Neji replied easily. "Did the two of you enjoy your time together?"

Kankurou and Tenten's eyes met.

"Um, yes, well, it was exactly what we needed, some time alone," Tenten said.

"I hope we weren't disruptive, then," Temari said, watching her brother carefully.

"Not at all," Kankurou told them genially. "I just wasn't expecting to see you here. Either of you."

"Shikamaru's idea of a joke, I guess," Tenten said, laughing weakly.

"You're mad at him, aren't you?" Neji guessed.

"Yes I am," Tenten said through clenched teeth. "That just means I can dump a bunch of itching powder in his bed."

"That's a little childish, isn't it?" Temari asked delicately.

"If he can't take a little joke, then he shouldn't go messing in other peoples' business," Tenten said serenely. "Anyway, I have to go congratulate Jou on an excellent show. It was her first symphonic concert, after all. Excuse me."

"Ah yes, well, I'd best be heading home," Kankurou said quickly, nodding politely to Neji and his sister. "I trust you two can handle yourselves. Goodnight."

Temari and Neji stood there, wondering how in ten seconds both of their companions had successfully managed to ditch them.

"Well, something went on between them, I can tell you that," Temari said after a moment.

"Hn," Neji's answer was completely noncommittal.

"Fine, act like you don't care again, we all know how far that gets you," Temari snapped archly.

"I'm leaving," Neji told her wearily, not caring how rude he was. Justification came in the form of her harassing him all night, so he didn't feel compelled to accompany her home.

"Whatever," Temari grumbled. "I don't think one of us really had a good night."

"Shikamaru did, I bet," Neji remarked. He nodded to her briefly. Then Temari suddenly found that she was all alone.

_What the hell is wrong with these people?_ Temari groaned inwardly. She noted dourly that their target was still asleep, snores as loud as ever. Tenten was off giggling with Jou, Neji was going home, and Kankurou was god-knows-where.

_I'm going to hang Shikamaru for sending us here after a bogus target_, Temari grumbled to herself. _And I don't know what he was trying to accomplish tonight. I think he just managed to make us all pissed off at him. That sounds too troublesome for him…_

Temari looked over at where Tenten and Jou were embracing. She felt a twinge of envy over something she rarely gave much thought. She didn't have any female friends that she could speak of. Sakura and Ino had each other, as well as Hinata and Tenten and even Jou, she supposed, though she doubted whether she was close with the younger girls. Her family was all she really had, and they constantly proved to be either hit or miss.

Temari decided to head home, feeling something like abandonment at having everyone run out, leaving her alone. Every time her foot hit the ground, it corresponded with a rhythm the concert had carefully tucked away in the back of her mind. She still didn't really like it and felt that Jou was probably a big pushover, but decided that she could wait another day to test it out, her feet skipping in time to the beat inside her head.


	12. Half

**Half**

By: Sonnie

Sometimes Gaara lamented the fact that he was a ninja—after all, it meant having to spend his time either risking his life or bored out of his mind, the latter always taking place between missions. He knew he had a fairly nonexistent social life unless one of the others invited him along, but Tenten was feeling dejected and Naruto was away on a mission. Now, with other sources exhausted, Gaara was inevitably left with Lee. Again.

_Well, I will be, if he ever decides to show up,_ Gaara thought grumpily. His eyes had been trained on the door for the past half hour, and so far no Lee. He'd watched various waitresses rushing back and forth, trying admirably to be cheerful despite several rude customers. He had to admire the fact they still attempted to be nice even in the face of bad tips, complaints, and screaming kids.

_God, I fucking hate children,_ Gaara groaned inwardly as a baby's shrieks echoed throughout the establishment. He took his gaze from the door in the hopes his stare would scare the child so badly it would be struck speechless. _If Lee doesn't get here soon—_

"You're going to kill someone, aren't you?" a familiar voice asked.

"I wasn't expecting you," Gaara muttered. "You've been rather depressed lately."

"That's an understatement," Tenten said good-naturedly. "But that's no reason why I can't be out and about. I'm not an invalid."

"Whatever," Gaara muttered. "I was expecting Lee…not that I'm complaining."

"Lee had a last-minute mission, so I'm meeting you here instead," Tenten explained.

"And why are we in this beef pot restaurant again?" Gaara asked tiredly, weary of the bright lights, loud noise, and crowded space, having spent the last half hour waiting.

"Lee's uncle owns it," Tenten said. "Lee knows a waitress here and wants her to get home safely."

"His sister, perhaps?" Gaara asked.

"Damn it, I really _did_ let that slip," Tenten froze. "Well, I guess that's a good reason not to ever drink too much."

Ninjas never spoke of their family; even amongst friends the subject rarely came up. Families were a weakness, a liability, if only because they were targets in a line of work that produced grudges and hatred. That one, simple occupational hazard put great deal of stress on relationships, familial or otherwise. The fact that Tenten had so easily revealed the information, even to an ally…

"Temari said his sister is a famous musician," Gaara said.

"She's the best singer in the world!" Tenten gushed, shame momentarily forgotten.

"Then why is she working in this—" Gaara paused, stopping himself before he used the descriptor _dump_, "place?" he finished. Far from actually being one, Gaara just found it hard to believe that the singer his sister told him about was working in a humble beef pot establishment. That she was making miserable wages and working a job that Gaara would openly admit was the only one worse than his own, was simply unthinkable.

"She used to work here as a waitress since she was ten," the kunoichi said, scanning the room for her. "She works here when she's not touring. She always likes to be doing something…even if it's _this_."

_Considering her brother, that's not much of a stretch,_ Gaara thought wryly.

"I bet she's the best waitress ever," Gaara deadpanned, bracing himself for one of Lee's exuberant responses.

"Actually," Tenten lowered her voice, "she's really clumsy and forgetful. It's a really good thing she isn't a ninja."

"She's really that bad?" Gaara asked curiously. "How can she survive as a waitress?"

"She's nice," Tenten offered. "Just plain not meant to be a ninja. If you met her you'd just _know_."

"Well, since I'm about to…" Gaara muttered, trying to figure out which waitress could possibly be Lee's sister. He'd had his suspicions but hadn't considered it seriously until Tenten came in.

"You probably won't like her," Tenten said after an uncomfortable moment of silence. "She talks a lot." At Gaara's skeptical look, he nodded grimly. "Even more than Lee, especially around people she doesn't know…they make her nervous. And yes, you'd make her very, very nervous…so there would be a lot of talking."

_Obviously I'm meant to suffer in this lifetime if I'm to spend time with someone who enjoys the capability of speech more than Rock Lee,_ Gaara thought miserably.

"Look, I said I'm sorry, okay?" a voice said hotly, drawing a large amount of stares.

"We've been waiting twenty minutes for someone to take our order!" a woman hissed, poking her finger at the waitress.

"I know you haven't been here more than ten," the waitress said, succeeding marvelously at regaining a measure of patience. "I sat you myself and even got you drinks. We're a little short-staffed tonight and every table is filled. I was just about to take your order when you got up and threw your drinks down. I apologized for the wait but you've been rude to me from the start!"

"I don't care how short-staffed you are or how busy," the customer shouted. "It's your job to wait on us. If you can't do that right, you shouldn't be a waitress! Why, my family and I should just leave! I hope you get fired for taking so long. We're the important ones, here, not you."

"Hey, that's really disrespectful," Tenten snapped, standing up and walking over the angry woman. "She can only do so much! She was busy—that's not her fault! She apologized and she just said she was on her way over."

"I don't want some ninja lecturing me about manners," the woman huffed. "Women shouldn't even be ninjas. They have a duty to bear children, first and foremost."

"Sorry for having a higher calling than being a walking pair of ovaries," Tenten deadpanned. "I hate to break it to you, but in many ways, _my_ life makes _your_ life possible. I'm not in the best of moods right now so unless you want to start something, I suggest you leave like you were threatening to."

The woman flushed an angry red. For a moment, no one moved. Everyone in the restaurant was silent, waiting to see what happened. Growling in frustration, the woman ushered her family away from the table and towards the door. She deliberately pushed past the waitress without a word. A second after she was gone, the talking resumed. A flurry of scandalized whispers followed the waitress as she headed towards Tenten.

"Thanks, Tenten-san," the waitress grinned. "I am so glad she left. Ninety-nine percent of the customers are great, but there's that one percent…Anyway, you're looking for Jou, right? She's somewhere…nights like this we don't get much time to chat. I think she's working a section in the other side of the restaurant."

"Thanks, Mika," Tenten told her. "Hope the rest of the night gets better."

"Yeah, well," Mika grumbled, eying her customers warily. "It's just one of those days. Anyway, Jou-chan's shift should be ending right about now."

Tenten nodded. Keenly aware of Gaara's agitation, she headed over towards the other side of the restaurant. Smiling at a waitress who just emerged from the restroom holding an apron, she turned to face Gaara when she sensed him come to a standstill. Large, emerald-colored eyes wider than usual, Tenten recognized the very un-Gaara-like emotion of surprise.

"Hey, Gaara…what's up?" Tenten asked him casually, slightly concerned. The slight change to his expression vanished and he was back to looking as stoic as ever.

"We've already met," Gaara said simply. "No introductions are required. If there's nothing else, we should get going. Your shift ended over ten minutes ago. You'll be late."

"I'm just going home," Jou muttered, her expression something Tenten couldn't decipher. There was agitation, wariness, and…relief?

"Where'd you two meet?" Tenten asked after the three of them left the restaurant. Mostly to break up the strained silence, but also to satisfy her curiosity, she ventured another question. "Are you two okay?"

"Fine," they both said simultaneously, looking at each other for a second before they both averted their gazes.

"Geez, you two are acting like two preteens at a school dance," Tenten remarked with a smirk.

"I don't even know her," Gaara said roughly.

"But you just said that you two met," Tenten pointed out.

"We met, but we didn't speak," Jou spoke up for the first time. "It was a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh," Tenten nodded. "How come I never heard about this?"

"It happened that night you got blind drunk after escaping from the hospital," Gaara said curtly, effectively cutting off her insinuations. "Stop making more of it than it was."

"What was I making of it?" Tenten asked sharply, already not in a great mood. She'd just been teasing and was now starting to get pissed off.

"So, why wasn't Lee there tonight?" Jou asked, interrupting the exchange and effectively deflating some animosity.

"A new mission straight from Tsunade-sama," Tenten told her, ignoring Gaara.

"And he sent _both_ of you?" Jou asked.

"Well, it was just supposed to be him, but he told me he wanted my help," Gaara answered. "I said yes to shut him up, and since he sent Tenten in his place…well, there you go."

"Oh," Jou murmured. "A mission straight from Hokage-sama, huh?"

"Hey, don't worry about Lee, okay?" Tenten said gamely. "He's the best at taijutsu there is, aside from Gai-sensei. He'd tell you not to worry if he were here."

"I know," Jou said, giving a weak smile. "It's different when I'm touring…I mean, I'm away and he never tells me about any of the _bad_ missions I know he has to be doing. He's always writing and it makes me feel better, but when I'm back…I don't know; it's just…scarier. I guess because I'm _home_ and where I belong, and when he's off somewhere it's just a reminder of what he's doing."

"You're right, Tenten," Gaara said, finding a brief pause in Jou's speech. "She talks a _lot_."

"Yeah, I do that a lot when I'm nervous," Jou said shyly, giggling. "And laugh…oh god, I can't help it. I just get like this sometimes."

"Why are you nervous?" Gaara asked her pointedly.

Jou laughed tremulously again. "You intimidate me," she admitted, before her cheeks turned red and she skipped a bit to catch up to Tenten so she wouldn't have to look at him. Unfortunately, she felt his eyes on her, perturbed and puzzled. Not finding any solace with her friend, Jou dropped back between the two of them as she had been.

"Wow, this is awkward," she said rather cheerily, toying with the strings of the aprons. "But it's okay…we don't need to talk. In fact, let's not. Sometimes _not_ talking really is the best thing. Silence is golden, that's what—"

"Why don't you listen to your own advice and shut up?" Gaara asked her tiredly.

"Hey, that's not very nice," Jou admonished.

"I'm not much in the habit of saying polite things," Gaara remarked drolly.

"Ugh, why did I—" Jou snapped before quickly stopping, mouth quickly covered by one of her tiny hands. Gaara narrowed his eyes and gave her an icy glare.

"Huh?" Tenten actually stopped in the middle of the street, turning around.

Jou turned pale before her cheeks started to swiftly flush red. Squeaking with embarrassment, she skipped ahead of the group, looking rather childish. Her impossibly long ponytail swished behind her, the ends passing like a pendulum by her hips with every rapid step.

"Hey, don't get too far ahead," Tenten called out, after giving Gaara an odd look. "Lee would go ballistic if something happened to you."

"I'm nineteen, Tenten, going on twenty," Jou said in a singsong voice. "Lee's the one you need to watch out for."

"In all the time I've spent around Lee, he's really a lot more capable than people give him credit for, albeit, that isn't very much," Gaara said slowly, ignoring Tenten's tiny smile and Jou's indignant glare.

"Ugh, you're infuriating!" Jou shrieked, turning on her heel and stomping off.

"She and her brother are very emotional people," Tenten told him. "I know they're fun to provoke, and all, but still…you probably shouldn't. It's too easy."

"Hnn," Gaara gave a minimal acknowledgment, a ghost of a smile appearing when Jou tripped on the sidewalk.

"She's adorable sometimes," Tenten said fondly, smiling as Jou held her knee, limping slightly and letting forth a string of foul language. Pausing on the sidewalk outside Jou's house with the other ninja, she smiled. "Her and Lee both…like big, little kids."

"She's more like a little, little kid," Gaara said sarcastically, throwing a look towards the house.

"She's smaller than Sakura, except without the disgusting brute strength," Tenten said absently, watching Jou turn the key in the lock with no noticeable results. "She's not quite defenseless, though. When you invaded us, she, quite frankly, fucked up that poor Sound ninja that attacked her."

"Her?" Gaara asked, his voice disbelieving as he watched her practically fly inside the house as the door suddenly budged then flew wide open.

"Yeah," Tenten said absently, looking at Jou with concern as the girl climbed to her feet unsteadily. "Sound ninjas are trained with their sensitive hearing in mind. Naturally, they'd be very sensitive to sound…And well, Jou's got more volume than Naruto, when she wants to."

"I'm finding that hard to believe," Gaara said, wincing as just about every single thing Naruto ever said popped into his mind. "Naruto only speaks in the volumes of obnoxiously loud, excruciatingly loud, and 'I'm-going-to-fucking-sew-his-mouth-shut.' "

"Well…Jou's got a high C that can break glass," Tenten said. "I was dumb enough to ask for a demonstration, and my hearing hasn't been the same since, let's just say. It's actually really neat. Anyway, let's go inside for a drink."

"Um—" Gaara was about to protest; he wasn't terribly comfortable in social situations, especially with people he didn't know. Escorting this girl home had been more than he bargained for and Tenten wanted him to stay and share drinks?"

"Just one?" Tenten begged, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside before he could object formally. Apparently his sand didn't find her to be much of a threat because it did not intervene, forcing him to submit to her rather urgent prodding.

Green hit him as soon as he crossed the threshold as if it were a tangible thing, not a color. Reminded rather unwillingly of Lee, Gaara wanted to close his eyes before remembering that they, too, were also green. Apparently he was destined to suffer because something that he had until then considered an abstract was now threatening to take over his senses.

Green carpet, green walls, green furniture, green paintings (this last one was perhaps the most alarming) made it impossible to escape the many references it made to Rock Lee. Gaara thanked his maker that Jou didn't have a bowl cut, but her hair was just as shiny and just as dark. He recalled she was wearing green when he first met her that night in the rain—a green parka and green rain boots. Now was no different.

"Sorry about the mess," Jou said, embarrassed, swooping past them and picking up all sorts of articles of clothing—jackets, shoes, scarves—and throwing them in a heap off to the side. "I thought Lee was going to be there so I didn't bother to clean up. He's used to it."

Gaara looked at the drink Jou presented him with after she returned from the kitchen momentarily. An appletini.

_How…green_, Gaara thought numbly, staring at the beverage with his equally brilliant-colored eyes.

Tenten eyed her appletini appreciatively with a grin. "So Jou, where's the piano?"

"I'm trying to soundproof my basement after the neighbors complained last month," Jou told her. "And even though the piano isn't loud, I decided to have Lee move it downstairs. It wasn't easy…We had to knock out the wall…"

"That should have been easy for Lee," Tenten said with a smile.

"About Lee…" Jou looked nervously at Gaara a moment before taking a deep breath. "I want to throw him a surprise party for his birthday next month. I have a venue and basically everything figured out as far as food and decorations, but I need your help seeing if certain people can come. Neji won't come if I ask him; he'd specifically stay away if I did. Lee's feelings would be hurt if he didn't show up, and I was thinking maybe you could…uh, you know…"

"Neji and I aren't really on stable terms right now," Tenten answered honestly, not caring that Gaara heard because he already knew. "I really don't know how well he'd listen to me."

Jou smiled sympathetically. "That's okay, then," she said. "I'll ask him. I'll just have to use my ultimate convincing abilities!"

Gaara shuddered as Jou gave what he could only assume was the female version of the Nice Guy Pose® by popping her foot, extending her arm with a thumbs up, and flashing a wide grin and a wink. He noticed the ridiculous action had actually made Tenten laugh.

"That's what I call family resemblance," Tenten said brightly, giggling when Jou gave her an enthusiastic salute.

"I will get Hyuuga Neji to attend this party if I have to slip him a sleeping potion and drag all one hundred eighty pounds of muscle through the streets of Konoha. He will be there at the party, I _swear_!"

Jou immediately turned her back and started mentally plotting, leaving Gaara the perfect opportunity to glare at Tenten. This girl was nuts. She turned to Gaara hesitantly.

"You'll come to, right?"

"Yes," Tenten answered for him.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and that's final," Tenten said quickly. "He's coming.

"Oh good, Lee's going to be so happy!" Jou squealed, returning to the kitchen.

"I hate you," Gaara told Tenten flatly after staring pointedly at where Jou disappeared around the corner.

Tenten smiled sweetly. "Fair enough."

"She's crazy."

"I know."

"You're crazy."

"I know."

"You're dead if you think I'll actually go."

"You can kill me after the party."

"How about I kill you now?"

"There's a witness."

"Who's even crazier than you—who'd believe her?"

"Wouldn't you just kill her too?"

"…I might get green all over me."

"Uh huh."

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Jou asked, coming back, puzzled. She held green envelopes in her hand.

"Killing you," Gaara replied nonchalantly.

"Oh."

"He's kidding," Tenten reassured her.

"I am?" Gaara asked in disbelief.

"Shut up," Tenten commanded.

"Whatever," Gaara shrugged.

"I'm confused," Jou confessed.

"Big surprise," Gaara muttered.

"That wasn't nice," Jou accused.

"I'm so hurt," Gaara deadpanned.

Jou pouted silently.

"You guys really _do_ know each other," Tenten said, looking back and forth between the two of them. She leaned back, looking at each of them expectantly. "It must have been pretty awkward too."

Scowling at the large grin this realization brought to the kunoichi's face, Gaara sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it." Gaara said quickly, looking over at Jou as if the responsibility to relay the whole story now lay on her.

"Hey!" Jou snapped, flustered. "You're just as involved as I was."

Gaara switched tactics. "You kissed me."

Tenten's eyebrows shot up. "I see."

"See what?" Jou squeaked. "There's nothing there to see!"

"Obviously, there was," Tenten contradicted.

"It wasn't even on the lips!"

"Why'd you do it at all?" Tenten asked.

"Are you insinuating no one should kiss me?" Gaara asked her archly, the tone lacking too much malice. He really wasn't offended in the slightest.

"Only that most normal people wouldn't," Tenten answered.

"Are you saying I'm weird?" Jou asked.

"Are you saying that you didn't know you are?" Gaara grumbled.

"_I'm_ weird?" Jou countered. "It was a kiss on the forehead!"

"It was out of nowhere."

"You'd just saved my life."

"I saved Neji's life and he's never kissed me."

"I'd pay money to see that," Tenten chuckled.

"Well, until Neji gets it together, he's as likely to kiss him as he is you," Jou told her.

"At least I want to kiss someone more normal than Gaara," Tenten bit out.

"Are you implying I'm not normal?"

"She's a little past implications," Jou snapped.

"And you call me impolite?"

"Yes!"

"Hypocrite."

"Creep."

"You kissed me."

"An admitted mistake."

"So now you regret it?"

"What if I do?"

"What if I regret saving you?"

"How can you tell somebody that? You're a jerk"

"You're a bitch, and an obviously useless one if you can't even save yourself from a natural occurrence such as a tree falling."

Jou blanched, standing up and stomping off into the kitchen. Silence. Both wondered what she was doing; she obviously wasn't breaking things or crying or screaming. Tenten gave Gaara a look of pure fury, which he easily ignored. A moment later, Jou came back and sat primly down on the couch across from Tenten and Gaara. Breaking into a big smile, she successfully startled both ninjas.

"So, who wants another appletini?"

Tenten's mouth fell open. Gaara's eyes widened marginally. This girl was all sorts of weird—the definitive female version of Lee.

"Uh, we're good," Tenten said, deliberately avoiding to coffee table where their first two drinks lay untouched. "We should probably get going."

"It is getting late," Jou conceded. "Anyway, this is where I'm having the party…can you hand out the invitations?"

"Sure," Tenten said, accepting the little green envelopes Jou gave her.

"Thanks a lot," Jou said. Tenten and Gaara rose to leave, and Jou got the door for them. "Goodnight!" she called after them.

"Goodnight!" Tenten called back, glancing over her shoulder and waving.

Gaara remained silent until the reached the end of the block.

"I think that was the most uncomfortable night I've ever experienced," he said finally. "And that's saying something."

"She's the female version of Lee, only she worries all the time," Tenten said after a moment. "I mean, if we want to protect someone, it's within our power to do it. It's not within hers and she has a difficult time with that. And since Neji's the type of person who believes you should only voice your opinions if you're strong enough to stand up for them, the two really don't get along. That, and on the first day of Ninja academy he made fun of Lee and she punched him in the face. She gave him a black eye."

Gaara felt the uncommon urge to laugh, staved off when he realized that Neji would have struck back. "What did he do after that?"

"He knocked out three of her teeth," Tenten shrugged. "And he broke her nose. She was really lucky a good med nin was working that day or it probably would have healed crooked. Lee was going to go after him but she didn't want him hurt too."

"Well, in all fairness, going after Neji is pretty much asking for defeat," Gaara admitted.

"And she did say no one's ever above getting their ass kicked," Tenten said, a small smile on her lips. "God, Shikamaru would be appalled. He's so old-fashioned about men hitting girls. And now two girls that hit him are chasing after him like crazy."

"I don't see the big appeal," Gaara muttered. "He's lazy, he's apathetic, and he's sorta ugly."

"He's got a nice ass," Tenten offered.

"Don't you start too," Gaara rolled his eyes. "Temari complains about him all the time. I ask her why he's worth it if all he does is make her mad, and she just gets angrier."

"Well, I live with Shikamaru and it's taught me that well, I can't live with Shikamaru," Tenten said, shrugging. "I mean, he's a good friend but he's not terribly exciting."

"And Neji is?" Gaara asked succinctly.

"Neji is…"

"Don't say 'Neji is Neji,' " Gaara warned. "Neji being Neji isn't justification for who he is. Please tell me you have actual reasons for caring about him so much."

Tenten set her jaw. "It's not really something I can describe," she admitted after awhile.

"Gee, someone's really direct at answering questions," Gaara muttered.

"God, why are you provoking everyone tonight?" Tenten demanded, turning on him.

"It's too easy," Gaara told her. "Besides, I recall being baited more than once by you this evening. If you want the whole story with me and that girl, it's really simple. There was a lightning storm. Jou was walking and I was walking and like nearly everyone else I've met here, she got scared and ran away. I was already pissed because I had to go drag your sorry ass out of a bar, and her running off just made me angry. I ran after her, saved her from a falling tree, and she kissed me on the forehead. She left, I left, the end."

"Wow," Tenten said after a moment.

"What?" Gaara wondered. "What's so impressive?"

"I've never heard you talk that much," Tenten replied tartly.

Gaara gave her a look and she cut the sarcasm, but she decided to push forward, albeit hesitantly..

"She actually wasn't there when you fought Lee during the exam…none of his family was," Tenten said softly. "His parents were on missions and Jou later admitted that she was too scared. You had quite a reputation and you still do; one of her friends had died in the exam the year before and she said she didn't want to see Lee harmed. She always hated that she was too weak to go and support him."

"Not everyone can be strong," Gaara muttered.

"She's got a lot of bravado and she'll stand up for him, but she can't bear to see him hurt," Tenten said. "She was a wreck after the match and only summoned the courage to visit him once."

"If she can't bear to see people in pain, why would she even attend the academy at all?" Gaara asked tiredly.

"She wanted to be with Lee, and she learned the hard way that you can't always follow the people you love," Tenten murmured. "From that first encounter with Neji, she said she knew that there would be people she couldn't protect him from."

"It's inevitable," Gaara said simply.

"But that doesn't mean she has to like it," Tenten sighed. "Jou stayed at the academy for one year, and after she left, she forgot nearly everything she learned in favor or pursuing music. The Sound ninja whose ears she injured returned the favor…he set off a sonic explosion that damaged her eardrums. She's only got fifty percent hearing in her left ear, and eighty five in her right. It interferes with her career but she's learned to cope just like Lee's learned to cope with his inability to perform any ninja spells."

"Lee is actually quite suited to be a ninja," Gaara said, his voice carefully neutral.

"Neji never really thought so until the exam," Tenten said.

"Neji is even better suited to be a ninja, though not much else."

"Well, I can't see him singing songs, that's for damned sure," Tenten said, smiling. "I just can't help but…I don't know, _love_ him? And it's such a pain in the ass because I don't want to. There was a time when we got along perfectly…he understood me and I understood him and now if anything's going to happen we both have to do so much work. It's so—"

"Troublesome?" Gaara suggested.

"Yes, _Shikamaru_," Tenten groaned. "I don't know how we grew apart, but I don't know if we'll ever grow back together."

"Now you just sound like a pair of trees or something," Gaara muttered.

"At least you can chop a tree down if it's being a pain in the ass," Tenten growled. "Neji's almost indestructible."

"He's a ninja," Gaara said simply.

"Yeah, but didn't you ever wonder if by being a ninja, we've all missed out?" Tenten asked him. "Before I attended the academy, I was just like every other girl. I wore flimsy pink sandals, put ribbons in my hair, and I even took—"

"…?" Gaara looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish. She shrugged off her slip, turning around abruptly. "What did you take?"

"You can't tell _anyone_," Tenten commanded, stressing the last word. "I don't care if you're strung by your ankles over a pot of boiling water, you're not to mention a _word_ of this."

"Fine," Gaara said, wondering what in the hell was so incriminating.

Glancing around at the empty streets, she approached him cautiously and whispered it in his ear so fast that he didn't hear it as he recoiled from her closeness automatically.

"What?" Gaara asked.

"I'm not saying it again," Tenten said firmly, crossing her arm.

"I didn't hear you," Gaara explained. "A warning would have been nice."

"Alright," Tenten sighed, walking over to him more slowly. Taking a deep breath (that tickled Gaara's ear, much to his chagrin), she whispered again.

Gaara blinked, stepping back. He gave her an odd look, then continued walking on without her.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Tenten asked, hurrying after him.

"There's not much you can say to _that_," Gaara told her abruptly. "You'd better hope that Shikamaru and my sister die before they even get wind of something like that."

"I know Lee knows," Tenten said. "I mean, Jou was there with me, and I'm sure she told her brother, but what if she told Neji? He could have found out or maybe she told him or somehow he heard it or—"

"Maybe it doesn't matter," Gaara told her. "Much." He smiled as he added that last bit, watching her squirm. He knew it wasn't healthy to enjoy the discomfort of others, but this was too good to pass up. And this was harmless, unlike the jabs he'd been indulging in earlier that evening.

"You tell anyone you'll be picking kunais out of your body for a week," Tenten warned.

Gaara brushed off her threat. "Somehow you're not frightening at all after that little piece of information."

"Jou's right, you are a jerk," Tenten said sullenly. "Jerk!"

Gaara looked at her as if she was crazy. "Whatever you say, swan princess," he snickered. He easily ducked her sandal and it went sailing over his head. He didn't miss the next one, which left a shoeprint on his back.

"Gotcha!" Tenten crowed victoriously. "The day is mine!"

"Are you sure you don't want the night instead, so you can dance it away?" Gaara muttered, brushing the dust from his coat.

"Fine," Tenten said stiffly, pulling on her first sandal. "I was going to be nice and walk you home; you know, protect you with my fierce ninja skills. But I see how you're going to be. You can walk home yourself, and I hope it rains and pours and there won't be any pretty girl for you to save."

Gaara blinked at her, once, twice. Without further ado, he turned and went on his way home.

"Gaara, I'm sorry, don't get mad," Tenten called after him, yanking on the second sandal as she stumbled after him. "I shouldn't have dragged you to Jou's house. I just didn't know you'd be so uncomfortable."

"You can make it up to me by formally getting me out of going to that party," Gaara said, his gravelly voice a touch brighter than normal.

"Or you could just avoid me until you remember that I'm really the only normal person you talk to," Tenten pointed out.

"I'll get by," Gaara told her blankly. "I did before."

"But now that you have me how can you willingly let me go?" Tenten asked dramatically, running after him with her arms outstretched.

"Hug me and _die_," Gaara told her seriously.

"I wasn't going to, for I don't as of yet have a death wish," she told him.

"Are you sure you didn't sneak one or two" (shudder) "appletinis tonight?" Gaara finished, not liking the name of the drink at all.

"No, no, I'm quite sober, just feeling a bit silly," Tenten reassured him. "Are you sure _you_ didn't sneak in a few? I've never heard you talk so much!"

"Goodnight, Tenten," Gaara said tiredly, pausing at the fork where their paths split up.

"Goodnight, Gaara," Tenten said, a mischievous look on her face. "Here, I'll kiss you goodnight!"

Feigning her threat, Tenten ran after him, giggling like mad. She was careful not to actually touch him, but was reckless enough that he had to keep moving in order to avoid her arms.

"What's wrong with you?" Gaara wondered out loud. "You haven't acted like this since…well, before you and my brother got together."

Tenten's good mood was extinguished right before his eyes.

"That's because we're not together anymore," Tenten whispered. Sighing heavily, she sat rather abruptly on the ground. Feeling uncomfortable, Gaara succumbed to the urge to look less out of place and sat down next to her.

"Sorry," Gaara told her, not knowing what else to say. His voice was devoid of emotion as it often was, and he wasn't too keen on touching her but patted her once on the back.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," Tenten whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I keep telling myself it was the right thing, and I know deep down it is. I hope he's having a better time with this than I am."

_I hope he is too,_ Gaara noted mentally as he watched her sob uncontrollably.

"I don't think I've cried so much in my life before this year," Tenten admitted in a small voice. "I could've counted the times I cried on one hand, no lie. And now I seem to be crying all the time, and I don't want to…half the time I don't know why."

"I don't mean to be insensitive, but I'm not the best person to be discussing your feelings with," Gaara pointed out. "You're one of the only people that knows me fairly well but there are others that know you better than I do."

"Yeah, but I always feel better talking to you," Tenten confessed.

"But I don't say anything," Gaara said.

"Exactly," Tenten said, smiling through her tears. "Everyone always tells me what to do…as if I don't already know and don't have a clue. But they don't realize how hard it is to just _do_ something. There aren't any easy ways to go about this and it never occurs to people that the 'easy' solution is actually quite difficult."

Gaara was once again quiet. For one, he didn't know what to say. But secondly, if it was his silence she valued, why not give it to her? He had nothing to offer in the way of advice, anyway. He was a good listener by default.

"Gaara?" Tenten asked timidly, her head still bent.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about giving you a hard time tonight, really," she told him. "I was trying to get you to relax. Jou's a lot like Lee, and I thought you could use another friend."

"Hn," Gaara grunted, not sure what to make of her last statement.

"Am I forgiven?" she asked meekly, presenting him with a cheesy grin, the origin off which he did not know.

"Yes," Gaara said stoically. "But only this once."

Tenten smiled. "And if you ever speak to her again, maybe be a little nicer."

"…A little, I suppose, wouldn't do any harm," Gaara conceded.

"Thanks, Gaara."

"It's nothing," Gaara said dismissively, hiding that he found a bit of pleasure in her contentment.

"Now," Tenten sighed, standing up and taking deep breaths. Blinking several times, she looked at him intently. "Can you tell I've been crying?"

…_Well…_

"Not really," Gaara told her. "Just don't let Shikamaru look too close when you go home."

"That bad, huh?" Tenten said wryly.

"Well, if you want the truth," Gaara muttered. "You look—"

"—No, that's fine, I can make an accurate assumption based on what you've already given me," Tenten assured him.

"You probably don't want to look at a mirror tonight," Gaara added.

"_I said I was fine_," Tenten bit at him, ending with a smile.

"…Take care of yourself," Gaara told her after a moment. "I know you're not okay, but you will be."

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, in a while," she conceded. "See you later, Gaara. And you need to shop around for a gift for Lee! I already know what I'm going to get!"

At that bit of information, Tenten perked up immensely and threw a green envelope at him. Before he could retort she was already halfway down the street, making rapid progress to her apartment. Gaara was left at the corner with the invitation.

Holding the envelope by the top corner, he scrutinized it carefully. Opening it could wait…he just needed to wait until he got over the fact it was greener than Lee's jumpsuit. Carrying it an arms length away from him on his entire journey back to Naruto's place, Gaara thought that maybe he really was going to miss out if he didn't go.


	13. Trick

**Trick**

By: Sonnie

"This is really, really stupid," Temari whined for the thousandth time that night.

"You should have thought of that before you volunteered," Gaara told her darkly. "And you _definitely_ should have thought of that before you volunteered _the rest of us_."

"For once, my brother and I are in full agreement," Kankurou told her. "Honestly, there's gotta be a better way of impressing him than this."

"I'm not doing this to impress him," Temari told him firmly. "I'm doing it to prove I can."

"Yes. **_You_**; exactly_. Not us_. **_We_** do not belong here."

"Shut up, Gaara, this is going to be easy."

"Easy doesn't always mean pain-free."

"Chicken shit."

"Bitch."

"How old are we again?" asked Kankurou tiredly.

"We're siblings; we can do this until we die."

"Which might be sooner rather than later."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Why not?"

"I'm your sister."

"That's never stopped me before."

"Could we please act like adults?" Kankurou interrupted. "It's bad enough that Temari volunteered to hand out candy at Shikamaru's apartment and _volunteered us too_, but I for one am not spending tonight listening to you two bicker."

"Pussy."

"Drama queen."

"Ugh, this whole holiday is dumb," Kankurou grumbled, shooting evil looks at both his brother and sister. "The whole idea of dressing up in costumes so you can beg for candy is ridiculous. Where's Shikamaru going to be that he can't hand out candy at his own place, anyway?"

"…Trick-or-treating," Temari said finally, looking away.

"He's nineteen," Gaara said. "Trick-or-treating is for _little kids_."

Temari's reply was cut off by Tenten and Shikamaru, who just emerged from her bedroom, arguing loudly.

"When you said a nurse's outfit, I thought you meant a real nurses outfit, as in 'I'll ask Sakura to nick one from the hospital she works at,' not 'I'll go to local _adult retail store_ and buy the skank-a-licious version,' " Tenten snapped.

"It looks nice," Shikamaru said weakly as he followed her, trying in vain to finish zipping up the back of the very tight dress.

"Honestly, what size is this thing?" Tenten growled, swatting his hands away.

"A large," Shikamaru said vaguely.

"And what was the little number below the big '**L**,' Shikamaru?" Tenten demanded.

"…Four."

"Four is a large only if you're selling clothing to girls under thirteen," Tenten hissed. "I'm a size eight, and that's on a very good day. Do I look like a freaking size four to you?"

"Um…" Shikamaru was honestly dumbfounded. "…Yes?"

"Ugh!" Tenten threw something at him in disgust.

"Hey, be careful with that," Shikamaru admonished, catching it gently.

"Why, did you buy that at _Fast Times, Faster Women_, too?"

"No, but you need it for the costume."

"And what about _your_ costume?" Tenten demanded. "The only reason I'm wearing this is because I got to pick yours. But where is it?"

"Back in my room," Shikamaru assured her. "It's too hot to wear in here. I just had the heat turned on last week."

"_I_ had the heat turned on last week," Tenten corrected.

"Same difference," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Go put on your costume," Tenten told him. "And don't take too long. I'll only be a few minutes, then we can go."

Shikamaru shuffled to his bedroom, not sparing a glance at any of the Sand siblings. They had the feeling he wasn't intentionally ignoring them.

"I wonder what she's making him wear?" Kankurou said after a moment.

"I hope it's ridiculous."

"I hope it's sexy."

Blond and red-haired heads turned sharply to their sister.

"It was a joke."

"Right."

"Honestly, Temari, keep your hormones under control."

"Shut up, Kankurou," Temari snapped.

"Temari, this night is going to be awful; I have every right to make fun of you," Kankurou told her.

"Damn it!"

All three Sand siblings turned to the bathroom where Tenten disappeared a moment earlier.

"…Are you okay?" Kankurou asked hesitantly. Things between them weren't normal yet and he didn't want to push her. Sharing a crowded bathroom with her would be quite uncomfortable.

"Yeah, sort of," came the reply.

"Uh, need some help?" Kankurou winced at the question.

"Actually, yeah," Tenten told him.

Kankurou hesitated before he went over to the bathroom. Before his knuckles hit the door, she opened it.

"Wow," he said breathlessly.

"Shut up and help me fix it," Tenten commanded. "You're the only other person in this apartment that's any good with this kind of stuff. I'm pretty bad—admit it."

Kankurou tilted his head and studied her. He opened his mouth then closed it again, trying to think of a nice way of stating the obvious. "Well…I'm sure there are people here that are worse," he finished lamely.

"I'm going to kill Shikamaru," Tenten vowed, but the eye patch she wore made it hard for him to take her seriously. "Making me dress up like this is his sick idea of a joke."

"Well, the wig is actually very high quality," Kankurou told her, adjusting it a little to the left and pinning it. "I'm guessing he spent a fair amount of money on it."

"Great, so I get to be trashy and classy all rolled up in one happy little nurse's outfit," Tenten grumbled.

"Elle Driver's more what I would consider crazy than anything else," Kankurou told her, his voice muffled by the bobby pins he held between his teeth.

"I wish he would have said O-Ren instead," Tenten sighed wistfully. "That would have been more fun."

"Fun, maybe; sexy, no," Kankurou told her, inserting the final pin. "Now you just need some makeup."

"Can I borrow some of yours?" Tenten asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Kankurou mumbled. She was apparently not feeling as awkward as he. He paused before he realized what she asked for. "I don't have any makeup."

"Uh, how about kabuki paint, then?" she amended.

"Kabuki paint, yes," Kankurou sniffed. "I'll get you some."

"Wait, you mean the entire time we were dating you were carrying makeup with you?" Tenten asked him curiously. "More makeup than me, might I add."

"I guess I was, if you want to get technical about it," Kankurou told her dully. He looked up at the single bulb that hung above the sink, which had begun to blink. "Wow…you really do live with Shikamaru."

"Yeah, he's really useless," Tenten said, flicking the bulb with her finger. It wasn't even hot. "The idiot can't even change a light bulb. Believe me; I've watched him. He almost broke his neck standing on the kitchen table. I had to do it. Don't even get me started on the light in the closet."

"Speaking of the kitchen, that might be a better idea." _And it'll hopefully be less awkward. _"This bathroom is insanely small."

"Yeah, I mean, in this lighting I might end up with the wrong look," Tenten said, gesturing to the makeup pots. "Instead of looking like a crazy bitch, I might end up looking like a crazy, whorish bitch."

Kankurou grinned. "Oh well, at least I only have to put eye shadow on one of your eyes, Ms. Driver."

"Ha ha, very funny," Tenten told him. Her retort was cut off by the door bell. Straightening up and trying futilely to smooth the fabric from where it clung to her, she traipsed over to the door in her ridiculous white stilettos and turned the doorknob.

_Shit, this is even more embarrassing than last time,_ Tenten swore inwardly, not even bothering to hide her grimace from the white-eyed man that stood in the entrance. Behind him, Tenten wanted to melt into the ground as she saw Lee bouncing energetically outside.

"Tenten, why, I didn't know you had dyed your hair!" Lee told her brightly, practically leaping into the apartment so he could inspect her hair from all angles. Tentatively reaching out and fingering a few strands, he clasped his hands together and began testing its tensile strength with short tugs.

"It's a wig," Tenten said weakly, her face falling into the palm of her right hand hopelessly. Waves of blonde swung forward to hide her face. "And it's for Halloween. Guess who I am."

"You're Elle Driver!" Lee exclaimed jubilantly, not detecting the sarcasm in her request. "I love _Kill Bill!_"

Tenten felt a small smile form as Lee began to reenact scenes of dialogue, much to Neji's annoyance. Before her former teammate took action against him, Tenten decided to intercede. "Um, what can I do for you two?"

"I need to speak to Shikamaru about something," Neji told her simply.

"He's currently indisposed at the moment, but you can come in," Tenten said graciously, stepping back to allow them entry. Neji entered wordlessly, walking right past where Lee had finally decided was the best angle to study her new look.

"Owww! Tenten, I'm going to kill you! Come here!"

Everyone looked up at the sound of Shikamaru's voice.

"If you're going to kill me, I'm staying right here," Tenten answered.

"I need you to help me with this!" Shikamaru called, not realizing Neji and Lee were there and not caring that the Sand siblings were present. Over the past few years they'd pretty much seen him at his worse, but Neji and Lee…

_Hmm, this reminds me of last time,_ Tenten said, a very large grin in place. _This might be fun._

"I'm not going back there if you're half naked," Tenten called. "I might lose my lunch before you kill me."

"You didn't lose your lunch the last time, and I actually _was_ naked," Shikamaru yelled indignantly.

"That's because I was too busy laughing!" Tenten cried merrily, giggling.

"Wench, get your ass back here and help me _now_!"

"I'm sending Kankurou," Tenten told him. "He's much better at costumes than I am. He even helped me fix that god-awful wig you bought me. It looks very nice now, thanks to him."

"Really?" Shikamaru's voice was noticeably brighter.

"You and blondes, Shikamaru, honestly," Tenten muttered. "Anyway, Kankurou" she glanced over at him, where he was shaking his head furiously "would be delighted to go back and help you."

"As long as _somebody_ helps me," Shikamaru wailed. "I think the beard is caught in my zipper. It's wrapped around my neck and it's caught in back and I can't even move my head. This costume is so troublesome."

Tenten covered her mouth to cover her laughter. "So sorry, Shikamaru."

"I'm not helping you with your makeup now," Kankurou told her darkly as he made his way cautiously to Shikamaru's bedroom door.

"Fine, I can do it myself," Tenten sniffed.

Kankurou laughed cheerfully. "Yeah, right." Crossing the threshold into Shikamaru's room, he sighed heavily. "And they call you a genius?"

Neji frowned, getting the feeling that what he just witnessed was only the tip of the neurotic iceberg that seemed to sum up the happenings at this apartment. Lee was fast asleep on the couch, having just gotten back from a mission less than an hour before. Neji glanced at where Temari and Gaara sat at the table, bored out of their minds and across from them, Tenten looking confused and bewildered as she fingered a small paintbrush.

"Damn it," she grumbled, picking up a small pot which appeared to contain a red hue. Opening the lid carefully, she took a deep breath and peered inside.

"Need some help?" Temari asked after a full minute went by and Tenten did nothing.

"Uh, sure, that might be nice," Tenten said absently, tilting the pot to see if its contents shifted too.

"Here," Temari muttered tiredly, sitting next to her and grabbing the pot and brush. Tenten's eyes shifted nervously to where the older kunoichi's hand shook as it advanced forward. Tenten yelped and flinched as it barely missed her nose, leaving behind what vaguely resembled a mustache.

"Uh, maybe someone else…?" Tenten suggested meekly, wiping away the mistake furiously with a paper towel.

"Fine!" Temari snapped, standing abruptly and tossing the items onto the table. "Then who else is going to do it?"

As Temari glared and crossed her arms, Tenten glanced over at Gaara who was currently mouthing the words 'no way in hell.' She winced at Lee's snores from the couch and her shoulders dropped when she looked at Neji.

"Um…please?" she pleaded to the Hyuuga, flashing him a huge smile while her palms met in supplication.

Neji blinked. He blinked again. He briefly considered turning her down, if only just to see how she would react. Sensing this, Tenten's face fell, so Neji acted without thinking. Sitting down on the chair that Temari just vacated, he calmly picked up the brush but picked up the blue pot of paint instead. Tenten half expected the Sand woman to watch, but she'd decided to investigate Shikamaru's plight after another loud curse was thrown out followed by a string of half-hearted apologies.

"This is going to be the worse part, so I'm getting it out of the way first," Neji explained simply, dipping the tip of the brush inside and delicately lifting it out. Her gaze trained on his advancing hand, Neji paused.

"Don't move your eyes around," he commanded. "Look at me, or if that doesn't suit you, looking just past my ear to where your roommate is screaming like a little girl."

Tenten laughed at Neji's unexpected use of humor, but settled for looking boldly at his face. Not really expecting this, Neji stiffened in his chair, pulling back slightly before his hand advanced again. Tenten gasped at the chilling contact of the cold paint, but quickly quelled the urge to move. Chewing on her bottom lip nervously, she hoped he finished before she gave into the strange desire to shiver.

Neji traced the upper lid of her eye, marveling, not for the first time, how dark they were as the iris slid upwards to watch the movements of the brush. When he was younger, he heard someone, an adult, mutter to a friend about how the Hyuuga family had eyes that made them look like walking corpses. They never wore colors, never spoke in loud voices, never laughed or cried or opposed authority. Neji realized that learning the Kaiten and earning the right to be taught by the head of the house was the most progress anyone in the Branch house had made, possibly ever.

Not liking where his thoughts were going, Neji glanced down, finding that her lips were even more distracting. He used to hear her hum every day, always the same song because it was the only one he tolerated. Now her lips were being worked to death by her teeth, or occasionally her tongue would dart out to lick her them nervously.

_She looks…worried,_ Neji thought, frowning. Quite frankly, as her eyes returned to his when he re-dipped the brush, he got the distinct impression she was anxious. Completely oblivious to how intimate the situation was, he continued his work, almost as if she were a painting. Painting was something Neji could do, and if he thought about her as such he'd be able to finish what he'd gotten himself into.

"What's on your mind?" Tenten asked him quietly, noticing that they were relatively alone. Gaara had gone to the couch in the hopes of poking Lee until he stopped snoring. Unfortunately, he did not seem to achieve is desired results because the volume just increased threefold.

"What makes you think I have something on my mind?" Neji asked casually, sweeping the brush along her lower lashes.

"I can just tell," Tenten said simply.

"Yes, but how?" Neji asked skeptically.

After Neji retracted the brush, Tenten leaned forward and said in a very serious voice, "I have my eye on you."

"Very lame joke, Tenten," Neji rolled his eyes.

"I thought it was cute," Tenten wailed.

"I second Neji, it sucked," Gaara muttered.

"Don't take his side!" Tenten accused. "You're so mean, Gaara. You'd better not scare those kids tonight."

"If they're going to be annoying little cowards, that's their problem," Gaara told her. "At least I'll be suffering with my siblings…they'll hate it just as much."

Tenten sighed. "You're just jealous because you don't get to dress up and get candy with us, aren't you?"

"Heartbroken."

"Gosh, your honesty touches my heart."

"As black and twisted as it is, seeing as how you made Shikamaru dress up like—"

"Shh! Don't tell Neji," Tenten admonished. "He needs to be surprised."

Gaara looked at Neji. Neji looked at Tenten. Tenten looked at Gaara.

"Okay, so Neji doesn't care, but still don't tell him," Tenten said.

"Do you ever want me to finish?" Neji asked her suddenly, gesturing to the red pot.

"Oh, sorry!" Tenten apologized, straightening up in her chair. She tried to ignore how close Neji was and how nervous it made her, hoping that he just attributed her behavior to being a bit hyper. He neared with the brush, causing her to move back an inch.

Neji sighed. Lining her eyelids had been easier because telling her to look at or past him made sense. Now, as her eyes were allowed to roam free, it meant she resorted to her usual vice; humming.

"Stop moving," Neji told her again. "You didn't move when I did your eyes."

"That's because now it's harder to see what you're doing," Tenten told him, "and at least I could hum. Now I'm supposed to sit here all quiet like."

"I sit quietly all the time; it isn't difficult," Neji told her flatly.

"That's because all Hyuuga clansmen are quiet," Tenten grumbled, the statement being rather true so Neji couldn't argue. He once again drew closer and she tilted her head, causing him to exhale sharply. Before Tenten could apologize, she saw his hand snap out, grab her chin, and hold her firm. Concentrating very hard so he could finish the task before he gave into the _insane_ urge to kiss her, Neji looked up when he felt her eyes on him.

_Busted,_ Tenten thought, as she quickly lowered her eyes. She wondered how ridiculous she looked, eyes half closed and mouth slightly open.

Concentrate on the task at hand, Neji told himself, not giving any outward sign that betrayed his thoughts. Most men his age wouldn't object to a girl sitting across from them with her mouth half open, wearing what one couldn't ever hope to call a nurses uniform. The blue-lined eyes and red shiny lips weren't helping matters.

"Sdkodsigoiwekoiuqewzxfnasfgsjdg?"

"What?"

Tenten closed her mouth before she spoke this time. "What did you want to talk to Shikamaru about?"

"He has one of my swords," Neji said, indicating that she not move her mouth as he traced her lower lip. "I let him borrow it months ago and it's one of my favorites."

"Oh," Tenten muttered, hoping desperately that when Shikamaru came out in his costume the sword wouldn't be too noticeable. Not, of course, that a little thing like visibility would prevent Neji from finding it. "Actually, I think he's going to be done with it really soon."

Neji looked at her carefully as he traced the delicate cupid's bow of her upper lip. "By really soon do you mean, 'when you two get back tonight'?" Neji asked.

"Um…maybe?"

"He's not taking that trick-or-treating with him," Neji said firmly.

"What aren't I taking with me tonight?" Shikamaru asked, his voice heavily muffled by the large beard he wore.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S PAI MEI!"

Gaara stepped back in time to avoid Lee as he leapt over the sofa right in front of Shikamaru.

"NO WAY! IT'S A WHOLE KILL BILL _THEME! _THIS IS SOOOO **COOL**!"

_I think I want my sword back just so I can decapitate Lee_, Neji thought, eyeing where it rested lightly in Shikamaru's grip.

Luckily the doorbell rang, interrupting Neji's homicidal urge. Tenten sauntered over to the door, nearly falling in the process.

"Hey, what's up?" she said, swinging open the door to let in Sakura, Kiba, and a very shy-looking Hinata.

"My cousin isn't seriously considering trick-or-treating," Neji said emphatically, eyeing where the white kimono-clad girl stood shyly with a black lacquered sword. Eyes as pale as her outfit, she trained them down so she didn't have to look at her angry cousin directly.

"GO-GO YUBARI, I'M YOURS FOREVER!" Lee screamed, throwing himself in front of Sakura's feet. Dressed as the outrageous, mace-wielding, harajuku schoolgirl herself, Sakura's pink hair was still quite roseate but she still looked the part.

Kiba, dressed as Bill, lifted his head to check out Tenten. "Hot damn, girl, you look trashy as all hell," he exclaimed.

Tenten frowned. "Uh, thank you…not really?"

"No, no, it's all good," he said, walking around her and blatantly checking her out. "It's hot. The white stockings are my favorite part of your little _ensemble_." At the word ensemble, he winked, causing Tenten's visible eye to roll.

"Nah, I dig the wig," Sakura said.

"Me too," Shikamaru agreed, inching away from Neji as he said it. "Hey, if Kankurou was back there with me, who did your makeup?"

"Um…it was Neji," Tenten squeaked.

Shikamaru laughed. "Nice try. No really, did you actually do it?"

"Actually, I did it," Neji told him.

"Wow," Shikamaru said, leaning closer to inspect it. "Pretty good; Kankurou couldn't have done much better."

"Too bad you're clothing impaired and I had to detangle your beard and eyebrows from where you somehow got them stuck in your zipper," Kankurou pointed out sharply. "Honestly, you're pathetic."

"Wait, your costume has zippers?" Kiba asked, cocking his head. "I don't see any."

"Yeah, they're somewhere back there," Temari waved her hand vaguely. "I remember helping him pull up the one on his back."

"Was that the last scream I heard?" Tenten asked.

"No, that was when I pulled it back down after I realized his skin was stuck."

"There's too many people in this room; can you guys just get ready and go?" Gaara said abruptly.

"Actually, the reason I invited you over wasn't so all three of you could hand out candy," Shikamaru said. "It's because we still need a Beatrix and a Budd. Who wants to be what?"

"Well what about Vernita?" Sakura asked.

"And then there's Sofie," Hinata added.

"No, no, that's too many, we're sticking with the main ones," Shikamaru explained.

"Personally I wouldn't mind if more ladies accompanied us," Kiba said gamely.

"Big surprise," Tenten grumbled.

"Well I don't think that Go-Go is really that big of a main character," Sakura said, "but I wanted to dress as her anyway."

"But she and Beatrix have a fight scene, so it's okay," Shikamaru said. "There's enough screen time to warrant a Go-Go. Vernita didn't get any special flashbacks like Go-Go."

"Huh?"

Everyone looked up at Temari's confusion. Her brothers weren't better off.

"Geez, haven't you seen Kill Bill before?" Kiba asked the Sand siblings, all three of whom shook their heads negatively.

"Well, it's a long story, but we basically need two more people to help us so we can be a full ensemble of characters," Tenten said. "Beatrix is the main character and we even brought a wedding dress for you to wear, Temari."

"What?" Temari looked indignant.

"Please?" Shikamaru asked. "It'll be a fun part. If you say no, then I'll have to call Ino up and—"

"—I'll be Beatrix," Temari said quickly, grabbing the white dress from Tenten and running to the bathroom.

"Good, now we just need a Budd," Shikamaru said.

"What does this Budd character do?" Kankurou asked.

"He shoots Beatrix in the chest, beats the living shit out of her, buries her in the ground, and dies from a snakebite," Tenten told him.

"Yeah, I'll do it," Kankurou shrugged. He paused. "You know, I think I actually did see part of the second film. Budd should be fun to play."

"As long as there's no method acting involved," grumbled Shikamaru, eyeing Kankurou's enthusiasm. "Anyway, we brought a hat…the rest of the stuff shouldn't be that hard to find.

"I can't believe I didn't get a part!" Lee wailed.

"But we want you to hand out candy," Tenten consoled. "You can keep Gaara from killing all the little children."

"This isn't fair," Gaara bit out angrily. "I don't even want to be here. This is all Temari's doing, just because she wants to please Shikamaru."

"Gaara!" Temari gaped, shocked. It quickly turned to anger, however. "You little—"

"It's true," Gaara told her evenly, meeting her eyes coldly. "But I refuse to be a part of it. I'm leaving."

To illustrate his point, he walked to the door. Backing up just in time, he managed to avoid it as it flew open. Grinning Ino, amused Jou, beleaguered Shino, and content Chouji stood there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The first two were dressed as witches (a good witch and a bad witch, respectively) and the last two wore no costumes.

"I was wondering when you guys were going to show up," Shikamaru sighed, but smiled as his eyes fell on Ino. "You look very nice, Ino."

Ino beamed. "Thank you, Shikamaru," she said sweetly. Looking at him, she laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's hard to say the same," Shikamaru grunted, glancing down at his shapeless ensemble.

"It doesn't matter," Ino smirked. "I know what's underneath the underneath."

Shikamaru cleared his throat before Temari decided to get involved. Changing the subject was as good a diversion as any. "Ino, Tenten found that recipe you wanted so you can make as many fluffy sugar cakes as you desire," he told her, hoping his transition was smooth enough.

"I would have had it sooner, if Shikamaru actually told me where he shoved my cookbooks when I was unpacking," Tenten said sweetly.

"It was too troublesome, woman," Shikamaru told her gruffly. "Anyway, I thought you girls might like arranging everything for the party because you're so good at that kind of thing—"

"—And Tenten and Temari suck at it—"

"—Not that you'd be any better, mutt—"

"—And Shikamaru's so goddamned lazy—"

"—so you could have everything ready by the time we get back," Shikamaru finished smoothly, despite interruptions from Kiba, Kankurou, and Tenten.

Temari frowned. She was glad that Shikamaru wanted her to go trick-or-treating (she cringed when she thought about it, since she'd never done it as a child and now was a ludicrous time to start, at the age of twenty one) with him, but he'd pretty much implied that he didn't trust her with being able to throw a good party. Despite Ino being a fussy prima donna, Temari grudgingly admitted that when the younger girl wanted to do something right, she did it with style. The elaborate pink costume the younger woman wore spoke volumes.

"Didn't you think I could cook for you?" Temari asked Shikamaru after mentally debating it.

"Honestly, Temari, you can't cook worth beans," he shrugged, admirably ignoring her pointed glare. "You've got servants to cook for you back at Suna, so there really isn't any reason why you'd need to know. Please don't get mad, since I had you pegged for Beatrix the whole time. You've got the perfect edge to play her part; Ino just wasn't right for the role, you know?"

Temari blinked, the whole situation threatening to just zip right over her head.

"Could I please have my sword back?" Neji asked tiredly, having waited patiently for a gap in the conversation. Too many things were going on at once.

"Could I please leave without someone throwing a hissy fit?" Gaara asked too, not really having any clear idea where he would go if he left.

"It's not like you have anywhere else to go," Temari noted sourly. "Just stay here and hand out candy. The girls will be doing most of the work. Shino and Chouji are just going to chill."

"And eat the food before you get back," Chouji added.

"Please?" Temari asked, voice completely stripped of roughness. "You won't even have to deal with kids."

Gaara sighed. "Fine, but I won't enjoy myself."

"I'm not particularly thrilled either," Shino pointed out, indicating with his finger where some of Ino's glitter had fallen onto the front of his jacket.

"Neji, nothing's going to happen to your sword, I give you my word," Shikamaru said solemnly.

"Return it tomorrow; I'm not staying here," the Hyuuga muttered, jerking his head towards Jou, who only crossed her arms.

"Fair enough, but at least consider stopping by later," Tenten invited cordially.

With his peripheral vision, Neji glimpsed Tenten looking at him hopefully...and then his gaze started meandering south. Pausing, he sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Neji, I shall accompany you home in order to convince you to return here later so that Tenten's wish will come true!" Lee exclaimed. Neji briefly considered refusing flat out, but knew a useless battle with Lee when he found one. Besides, it would be the perfect excuse to come back…

"But you were going to hand out candy with me, Lee-chan" Jou said mournfully.

"Fear, not, Jou-chan," Lee consoled her. "I shall return, and with Neji in tow!"

"Good luck," Jou wished him, smiling evilly at Neji.

"Well then, let's get this show on the road," Sakura said excitedly as the group exited the building. "I'm so excited! I hope Naruto gets back from his mission in time to see our costumes. He really wanted to be a part of it."

"Yes, I hope he can make it tonight," Hinata murmured shyly, a smile touching her lips.

"I bet Sakura's going to get the most candy," Tenten grinned.

"Yeah right, with that getup, you might get more than candy," Sakura winked.

"Very funny," Tenten said primly. Glancing over to where Neji was heading down the opposite street (and where Lee was a whole block ahead), she called out to him. "Hey, Neji! See you later!"

"Yes, see you later!" Jou cackled, being quite keen on his emotional struggle with whether or not to attend.

"Hn," was Neji's response, not sure if he felt like going. Still, as his gaze unwillingly settled on the back of Tenten's costume (hovering somewhere between where the thigh highs ended and where the hem of the skirt began), he wasn't sure if he could stay away.

**-O-**

"Okay, now I'm going to get started with these cookies!" Ino said excitedly, clasping her hands together.

"I'll get the door if someone comes," Jou told her, rooting through the bags of candy Tenten had bought. "Wow, she's got good taste in sweets."

"Throw me a bag," Chouji asked.

"Okay, but just one," Jou answered, tossing a bag of assorted lollipops.

"Hey!" Ino balked. "I mean, it's okay if Chouji has a bag, but go easy on the rest of it, okay?"

Gaara and Shino sat on opposite sides of the couch, not having anywhere else to sit since Chouji was on the chair. Each eyed the other warily.

"Oh, for the love of Godaime, I hope you two don't start marking the furniture," Jou groaned, looking back and forth between them. "Can't you two just share peacefully?"

"They're men, of course not," Chouji explained.

"Well, I sat next to Kiba on a park bench before and I could have sworn it must have been two feet wide since he was sitting so close," Jou told him.

"Well, Kiba's a guy and you're a girl, which is exactly why the space between you vanished. When two guys are in the immediate area, they don't like to share."

"Huh?" Jou was confused. Her brother was always sharing.

"Shikamaru and Chouji are basically the only ninjas in this whole village that don't have an ego problem on any level," Ino said proudly from behind the counter, smiling at her former teammate.

"You have enough for all three of them," Gaara mumbled.

"Now, now," chided Chouji. "We mustn't provoke Ino. I know Shikamaru says your sister's scarier than his mom, but an angry Ino could give your sister a run for her money."

Not too familiar with the platinum blonde kunoichi, Gaara shrugged. "I'll risk it."

_Ding dong!_

Chouji sighed in relief at the interruption, glad that it prevented Ino's temper from flaring.

"I'll get it!" Jou cheered, grabbing a bag of candy and ripping off the top.

"Trick or treat!" Three kids stood on the doorstep, all three dressed like Maito Gai. Gaara felt his stomach lurch and even Shino seemed to pale.

"Oh, you three boys are _ADORABLE!"_ Jou gushed, swooping down to hug them all. True to their costume aspiration, they all took it gamely and smiled. The **_ping!_** of their teeth nearly took out the glass in the window next to the door.

"Maito Gai was my brother's instructor," Jou told them distantly, smiling.

"Is your brother Rock Lee?" Gai-number-three asked.

"Yes he is!" Jou exclaimed.

"Cool!" Gai-number-two said. "We saw him at the festival earlier this year. He's really strong!"

On the couch, Gaara shuddered.

"He was amazing!" Gai-number-one proclaimed. "He caught this guy cheating—"

_**I** caught that guy cheating_, Gaara corrected mentally.

"—And then he threw all the money that man took into the crowd!" he finished. "I caught a piece and I still have it."

"When we graduate the academy this year we all want Gai-sensei!" the boys cheered. "Our youthful vigor will be recognized at last!"

"Oh, you three can just split the whole bag!" Jou cried, hands to her cheeks as she cooed happily. "You kids are the best! Happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween, Rock Lee's sister!" they called, smiling broadly as they ran to the apartment next door. Jou closed the door, her huge, beaming smile only slightly faltering when she turned to meet Ino's angry glare.

"You gave those three kids a _whole bag of candy_?" Ino asked lethally.

"But they were so cute," Jou explained helplessly, pointing to the door where they stood only a moment ago.

"I don't want it happening again," Ino said firmly. "And it won't. Shino, get over here and help Jou hand out the candy. Make sure she doesn't give out too much. We don't want to be running out later."

Wisely, Shino didn't argue; Gaara could see the resignation in his body language as the ninja climbed to his feet and shuffled to the door. He was beginning to see what Chouji meant when he said Ino was a formidable opponent. If Shino wasn't going to fight her…

_This is going to be the longest night of my life_, Gaara groaned inwardly, wondering how it could possibly get worse.

**-O-**

"Well, how about we never go to that house again?" Tenten proposed, rubbing her sore ankle.

"How about we never do this again, period?" a disgruntled Temari grumbled, examining the edge of her torn veil.

"I wasn't prepared to run tonight," Shikamaru groaned.

"I thought you could control dogs, Kiba," Kankurou glared darkly at the Inuzuka.

"Hey, that's enough," Kiba said defensively, rubbing the welt on his knee. "That was no normal dog that chased us."

"You mean no normal _pack_ of dogs," Sakura corrected tartly.

"Er, yeah, whatever," Kiba said sheepishly.

"I think I lost all my candy," Hinata piped up.

"Aw, that's okay, we've got a ton of it and we're just getting started," Kiba told her, patting her shoulder.

"Yeah, don't worry," Tenten consoled her. "At least we're having fun. This has been a pretty exciting night so far. Lots of people loved our costumes. I bet those guys back at our place are bored out of their minds."

**-O-**

"_I AM GOING TO REPORT YOU ALL TO THE POLICE!"_

"**AND IF YOU DON'T GET LOST AND STOP WHINING, I AM GOING TO SHOVE MY FIST IN YOUR EYE SOCKET!"** Ino screeched back.

Gaara covered his ears, his face the absolute picture of misery. To some it might be funny, a beautiful girl dressed in a pink gown, tiara, and delicate slippers to be screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs, but not him. He didn't find it amusing at all.

"**IT WAS JUST ONE LITTLE BUG**!" Ino shouted. **"IT WASN'T EVEN ON THE CANDY! GET SOME GLASSES, LADY!"**

"Uh, I'm really fine," the little boy mentioned, looking back and forth between his mother and Ino nervously.

"Who asked you?" Ino snapped.

"Don't talk to him like that!" the mother roared.

"Get lost, lady!" Ino shrieked. "And take your son with you! I bet you made his costume, too, and I wanted you to know that **IT SUCKS**!"

At this, the boy began to cry. His mother, outraged, started a tirade that was cut off by Ino slamming the door.

"Ino, you really hurt that kid's feelings," Chouji told her.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino grunted, jaw jutting forward. Taking several deep breaths, she uncrossed her arms and glanced back towards the door. "Aw, damn it."

The front door flew open.

"I didn't mean it when I said I hated the costume," Ino snapped, throwing a bag of Skittles into the kid's basket before slamming the door shut.

"Did that make you feel better?" Jou asked tentatively, having given the blonde a wide berth.

"Yes, a bit," Ino huffed, sauntering back to the kitchen sweetly and resumed mixing the ingredients as if she hadn't just been threatened five minutes ago with the police on the doorstep. "Hm, it's a tad warm in here."

Jou, Shino, and Chouji all risked glances at her and silently, between the three of them, decided that one of them was to turn down the heat in the apartment. Jou once again crossed Ino's path, sauntering over to the thermostat and turning it back at least ten degrees after eyeing the blonde warily.

"Okay, so we've determined that Shino isn't really ideal to be handing out candy," Chouji said after a moment of silence.

"That's okay, Gaara can do it," Ino said briskly, not even looking up.

"Why can't _he_ do it?" Gaara hissed, indicating with a jerk of his head to where Chouji sat.

Shino sat down stoically, apparently not bothered by Chouji's assessment. He picked up one of the magazines on the coffee table absently and flipped through it.

"Because Chouji would eat all the candy," Ino replied scathingly, as if he should have already known.

"What if I don't want to?" Gaara asked icily.

"Seriously, don't start fighting," Jou interjected, stepping between them, right on the divide between the kitchen and the living room. "Ino, I'll hand out the candy and I won't give away another bag in one shot. But in all fairness, you did the same thing."

"It was Shino's fault," Ino sniffed.

"Whatever you say," Shino shrugged, eyes still fixed on the magazine.

"If Gaara doesn't want to, he doesn't have to," Jou said, her voice accepting. She glanced at him. "I'm not as exuberant as Lee, and there are still plenty of things that he can't get you to do. If you're going to sulk, you can do it over there just fine if you want. God knows we've traumatized enough kids tonight."

Gaara paused, wishing that if he was forced into handing out candy, those kids dressed like Gai would come back so he could frighten them away. Or kill them. Since pretty much everyone in the apartment would get on his case if he scared any children, Gaara thought it best to stay where he was.

"Ino, I can finish baking the cookies."

Every pair of eyes in the apartment turned to Shino.

"It makes sense, since you're wearing a costume," Chouji pointed out. "This way you can hand out candy. I bet the little girls will love your dress."

Ino eyed Shino warily, not quite sure if she should take him up on the offer. She did love to bake, but she also loved the idea of little girls fawning over her admittedly beautiful costume.

"Okay," Ino said slowly. "I have everything mixed together; I just need you to bake them. The directions are on the paper by the stove."

Giggling to herself, Ino washed her hands in the sink and dried them daintily. Since no one was at the door, she rooted around in one of the bags she brought, hands emerging full of black streamers.

"Wow, Ino, you went all out," Chouji remarked, eyes following her movements as she carefully strung the glittering black strands over the door. The windows soon followed; she was much faster than she looked and he had to admit, the results were impeccable. Ino didn't believe in doing anything halfway.

Gaara eyed the orange, ceramic jack-o-lanterns that Ino placed on every flat surface; the top of the television, the coffee table, every counter and windowsill. Though they were unlit, he wondered vaguely if there was a fire alarm in the apartment.

"Chouji, help me with this, please," Ino asked him, perched on top of the sofa so she could fasten a rather interesting, festive lantern from the ceiling. As much as Gaara couldn't understand the whole point of the holiday, he had to admit that she had good taste in decorating for the season. Nothing was cheap, plastic, or gaudy; even her outfit was not as appalling as a pink dress could be.

"I can tell what you're thinking," Chouji muttered, eyes trained on the Sand ninja. "Believe me, for as much of a fuss she can make, she's never a disappointment."

Gaara wondered if Shikamaru thought that too. For as much trouble as they both were to him, he cared about them both. He was curious as to which one the lazy ninja would pick, if he ever got around to it at all.

"Oh, I'm so glad Shikamaru let me do all this for him," Ino sighed, smiling absentmindedly. "I've been baking for the last two days…all kinds of cakes and pies and cookies. I made all of his favorites, too. I hope he likes them."

"Ino, you're a wonderful cook," Chouji told her truthfully. "Shikamaru always appreciates when you do things for him, don't worry."

"Yeah, but he still didn't ask me to go trick-or-treating with him," Ino said sadly. "He wanted Temari to go with him instead. I don't even know why he's going trick-or-treating…it's normally too troublesome."

"Oh, Tenten's forcing him to go in exchange for all the laundry she does," Jou enlightened. "He tried it once…he didn't know you need to separate colors, fabrics, delicates, and the like…ruined a few of her clothes. Now she does _all_ the laundry. And since she wanted to do something a little different for Halloween, she organized the whole _Kill Bill _thing. It's a big hit, but don't worry about not being invited. I wasn't."

"You look more like Go-Go Yubari than Sakura does," Ino admitted.

"Hey, Temari got mad because Shikamaru didn't trust her enough to stay here, in a sense," Jou pointed out. "Just think of it as playing to your strengths."

"She's right, Ino," Chouji confirmed. "Just have fun tonight. There's no need to get upset or anything—Shikamaru didn't mean anything by it."

Ino smiled. "Thanks, guys," she said cheerfully. "Temari's going down! I'm going to make the best sweets ever and he's going to love them!"

Gaara frowned, wondering if all friends were like this. Lee, Naruto, and Tenten offered him conversation, but he never felt comfortable asking for their support in anything, because truthfully, he didn't need it. He could tell Ino was insecure but also that Ino was competent—did she just pretend to be foolish so she could get compliments?

But Gaara noted that despite Ino's happy new demeanor, she was still scared and hesitant. Gaara wasn't sure he was rooting for anyone when it came to Shikamaru; the man had good and bad qualities like everyone else, but was completely unique. He could tell his sister needed him and that this other blonde did too, but couldn't say for certain who needed him more.

_Ding dong!_

"Trick or treat!"

Gaara supposed it was wishful thinking to dream that some of these kids might be familiar and capable of comprehending the phrase "inside voices." The blonde loudmouth was bad enough for his patience.

"My, what lovely costumes we have here," Ino said, giving each girl a speculative gaze. She settled on the girl on the left, who wore purple.

"You know, purple's one of my favorite colors too," Ino winked conspiratorially. "Be princesses always wear pink."

"Your dress is so pretty!" the first girl gushed.

"Did you make it yourself?" the girl on the right asked in awe.

"I sure did," Ino nodded. "Do you like it?"

"It's so soft."

"It's so sparkly."

"It's perfect!"

Ino beamed. "You girls have good taste, both of you," she said, kneeling down beside them. "And even though candy isn't good for the figure, you girls can take your pick of Twix or Mounds."

Holding a bag of candy in each hand, she smiled even brighter when both girls picked Mounds.

"Aw, you girls picked my favorite, so I'm going to give you these," Ino said, setting down the candy bags and reaching behind her head. Pulling out two tiny sprigs of baby's breath, she handed them to the girls. "I work in a flower shop, so I can always get some more. You girls have a great night!"

"Thank you!" a chorus of praise broke out as they hugged Ino, who looked every bit the royal figure she was portraying. The girls giggled as they skipped away, turning around to wave.

_Well, I guess Temari's screwed in that department,_ Gaara noted offhandedly as Ino gently shut the door. _I suppose Ino can be rather nice when she's in a good mood. Too bad Temari's hardly ever in one of those…_

**-O-**

"Damn it," Temari swore. "I can't believe that guy. One piece of candy each. Everywhere else, we got at least two."

Tenten was trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile behind her hand.

"You're really getting into this," Hinata observed.

"Well, if he's going to hand out candy, he should be doing it right," Temari said sensitively.

"And he should definitely keep his eyes focused above the neck," Sakura grumbled.

Kankurou laughed. "I thought it was pretty funny," he offered.

"Aside from the fact I don't have much of a chest to be staring at," Sakura pointed out. "I mean, honestly, we've got Tenten and Temari for that. All he did was look at _me!_"

"I'm getting tired of lugging all this candy around," Shikamaru whined. "Can we go back?"

"No," Tenten said simply. "Two hours of trick-or-treating doesn't make up for three months of laundry."

"Are you still sore about what I did with the first load of laundry?" Shikamaru asked her, his frown rather amusing because of the white eyebrows.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't managed to melt three articles of clothing together (god knows how), pour bleach in with my bras, and wash the reds and whites and blacks in hot water, I'd be okay," Tenten told him sharply.

Temari blinked. She had someone to do her laundry when she was at home, but still…most clothes came with directions on the tags.

"It was too troublesome to do four different loads of laundry," Shikamaru mumbled. "And hand washing…what's up with that?"

Tenten sighed. "And this is why you're trick-or-treating with me."

**-O-**

"We're getting low on candy," Ino remarked from the door.

"I wish I had my guitar," Jou said wistfully, settled on the couch evenly spaced away from both Shino and Gaara. She'd sat down since Ino was so focused on taking care of the trick-or-treaters. Hands poised as if she were actually playing an acoustic, she was humming notes very softly and strumming her fingers experimentally.

_What a weird girl_, Gaara thought, not for the first time, as he watched her work out a song. _At least she's being quiet. That's all I can ask for someone who's related to Rock Lee._

_Ding!_

Shino hopped up as the cookie timer went off. Gaara could tell by the way he moved that the ninja was no stranger to baking. Weird, but then again, the man never really spoke that much. Who was to tell what he liked or didn't like?

"Gaara, if you do at least one thing all night, would you help me mix punch?" Ino asked him. Gaara was beginning to wish that she was afraid of him like most people. Even Jou was a little, and she hadn't even seen him fight.

"All you have to do is stir," Ino promised. "This way you can say you helped out."

Gaara just stared at her. "I don't care."

"Yes, I can see that, but it sounds nice to say that you did, and you don't want to lie," Ino said, waving a hand as if to dispel his negative attitude.

Gaara acquiesced, not wishing to slip to Shino's level of compliance but not desiring to incur what he imagined would be her terrible wrath. Trudging over to the table, he watched Ino pour two separate drinks in the huge punchbowl.

"Are any of these alcoholic by any chance?" Gaara asked her plaintively. He was not a fan of alcohol and knew if Lee came back and took a sip, the whole party would fall apart. Literally.

"Naw, too expensive," Ino said. "Plus, I don't want Tenten or Shikamaru to get drunk together…I heard they were in Grass Country the last time it happened…apparently, they pretended they were married, ended up kissing, and were found the next morning in bed with each other. I think it was the type of drink they had; usually they both just get surly, but that time they were very amorous."

"I hope Neji didn't hear that story," Jou sighed. "He'd freak out."

"Well, naturally I did too, but I just talked to Tenten about it and she told me what really happened," Ino said, waving a hand flippantly. "They did get drunk and did kiss and did end up in bed, but absolutely no sex. Plus they entered a dance competition together!"

Gaara found it really strange the girl thought this was funny instead of maddening.

"You aren't jealous?" he found himself asking.

"Well, considering all they've been through and they're still friends, I'm convinced they're going to stay that way," Ino said. "Besides, Shikamaru does not like a jealous woman; it's one of the reasons he cites for liking her company; Tenten doesn't get jealous, and if she does she doesn't lose it. I mean, it can't be easy for her to see Neji act so respectful to Sakura when he hardly ever talks to her, his former teammate."

"Personally, I prefer Tenten," Shino piped up unexpectedly. "Pink hair isn't natural."

"Says the man with bugs in him," Ino countered. "But seriously, sometimes I think Tenten and him could sleep together and still remain totally platonic. I've asked Shikamaru about her, and he says he finds her attractive, but isn't attracted to her, at least not like he is to some other people. He said she's the ultimate 'safe' relationship for him."

"Then it sounds perfect for that lazy bum," Jou remarked.

"Ah, yes, but Shikamaru needs some trouble in his life," Ino said knowingly. "And I'm just the girl to provide it! Besides, Shikamaru couldn't become romantically involved with a woman he was living with…he's too old-fashioned for that. Tenten's quite forward-thinking, and while he enjoys that about her, it makes them incompatible in certain aspects, relationship-wise."

"Which is exactly why she's stuck on Hyuuga," Jou grumbled sarcastically. "Blah blah blah **FATE** blah blah blah. I mean, there's nothing like good old-fashioned fatalism to complement an open mind. Ick."

"You really don't like him, do you?" Gaara asked her archly, tilting his head back to glimpse her frown.

"Are you still mad he put you in the hospital?" Ino asked her.

"He started it," Jou sniffed, crossing her arms. "And he just happened to finish it. I'm more upset that he made fun of Lee on the _very first day of school_. But still, unless he gets his act together then he's got nothing to offer Tenten."

Gaara silently agreed. He liked Tenten, at least as much as he could like anyone at the moment as he remained trapped in Shikamaru's apartment ostensibly handing out candy to youngsters.

_Ding!_

Shino was once again at the oven in a flash. Gaara could tell that Ino was a little unnerved by his apparent skill; was it rivaling hers?

"Ooh, I see more kids!" Ino squealed, glancing out the window. She was really enjoying this, and not just the compliments part. Gaara glanced over at Shino, who was carefully removing the cookies from the sheet. Chouji was asleep, his empty bag of chips resting against his stomach. Jou was nodding off absently; Gaara tapped her shoulder in the hopes that if she tilted to one side it wouldn't be on his. Proving to be the deciding factor, she slumped over onto Shino's side of the couch. Upon his return, Shino simply sat on the arm of the chair.

_How much longer is this night going to last?_ Gaara wondered, bored out of his mind.

**-O-**

Neji managed to shut Rock Lee up for a total of five seconds before he started talking again. Both were sitting at their old training ground, a place where both felt comfortable.

"You're going to the party, aren't you?" Lee asked, not for the first, second, or even twentieth time. Neji estimated the count to be thirty seven.

Neji wondered if he really wanted to; Lee's surprise party was in less than a month. Tenten had broken the silent treaty of non-contact and given him the invitation, asking him to come. He didn't really mind social functions, but here of late…

_I'm not really sure if I want to deal with her_, Neji ascertained. That can hardly be a sign that I care about someone…

"Lee. I have a question."

"Hmm?" Lee was a bit taken aback but didn't show it.

"You liked Sakura, correct?"

"Uh huh," Lee said, nodding slowly. He had no idea where this could be going.

Neji paused.

"Was there ever a time when you didn't feel like seeing her?"

Lee rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sure."

When he didn't elaborate, Neji glared.

"Oh, you want to know when?" Lee asked, wanting Neji to admit that he was curious, even the slightest bit.

Neji's look of disgust was enough, and Lee broke into a smile.

"Well, every time she was raving about Sasuke, for one," Lee said good-naturedly. "And whenever she was sad…I didn't like that too much. Nobody likes seeing the people they care about upset."

Neji blinked. Well…could that be it? It has to be more complicated than that.

"Any other times?" he asked after a moment.

"Look, just talk to her," Lee sighed.

"And what would I talk to her about?" Neji asked pointedly.

All façades dropped, Lee pressed on. "Tell her how you feel."

"And how would that be?"

"Neji, this is why you're such a headache," Lee said, being uncharacteristically blunt. "You don't have to have everything figured out before you start a relationship. In fact, learning things is a big part of it."

"There isn't a proper place to start," Neji stated.

"There doesn't need to be a proper place!" Lee exclaimed. "It's the glorious springtime of your youth! You've seen that men are interested in her, so don't act like you shouldn't be having feelings for her. You're really complicating things."

"And she doesn't have a part in that?" Neji countered.

"Well, you're not giving her a lot to work with," Lee shrugged. "Even Sakura didn't stay totally fixated on Sasuke forever; Tenten's never been that obsessive with you. It's only natural that she feels inclined to move on."

Neji eyed Lee oddly. He recalled what Tenten said, about Lee being naïve but not stupid. Still, he seemed a great deal more knowledgeable than naïveté would allow.

"How do you seem to know so much?" Neji asked finally.

"Jou and I talk about it," Lee said easily.

"Jou ought not stick her nose in things that do not concern her," Neji said stiffly.

"Take into consideration that there isn't anything for her to stick her nose in," Lee said crisply, not meeting Neji's eyes. In the rare occasion when Neji and Lee had a conversation, Jou was left out for that very reason. Neji never had anything nice to say about her, and visa versa.

"So Jou knows a fair amount of what's going on in Tenten's life?" Neji asked carefully.

Lee looked at him strangely. "I know you're not asking me for private details, but I'll help you out if you want it."

"…Is anything going on between her and Shikamaru?" Neji asked, figuring that in the long run the lazy ninja was a bigger threat than Kankurou.

"Well, they have an interesting relationship," Lee settled on, being uncharacteristically vague.

"Are they sleeping together?" Neji asked bluntly.

"Neji!" Lee was on his feet. "Are you suggesting that our former teammate's flower of youth would be surrendered so carelessly?"

"Should I be worried about that flower?" Neji asked.

"I am shocked, Neji!" Lee huffed. "Tenten has done nothing to compromise the immaculate flower of her womanhood."

Neji knew he shouldn't, but he was having fun tormenting Lee. "How can you be so sure they're not having sex?"

"Tenten wouldn't want her first time to be with him, she said so herself," Lee blurted out. Turning bright red, he covered his face in shame as his words dawned on him. "I have betrayed the trust of my beautiful teammate!"

"Former teammate," Neji corrected, not feeling guilty in the slightest for having coerced the information. "Since you've already spilled that, why not everything else? At this point it wouldn't matter."

Neji could physically see Lee working this out in his mind; dark eyes focused, brows furrowed, and mouth drawn. Face screwing up as his inner debate continued, he turned to Neji and pointed a finger at him accusingly.

"My rival, Neji, you think you can trick me again!" Lee shouted, probably waking up every bird in the forest.

_Well, that's sort of true_, Neji conceded mentally. _But while part of it was actually curiosity…part of it was also me just wanting to see you look ridiculous._

"I will not allow any more questions on the subject, not even one," Lee said firmly.

Neji smirked. "Not even one?"

"Not even one," Lee repeated, smile faltering the tiniest bit.

"Really?" Neji asked quietly. "So if I were to admit that Tenten was virtuous, as I knew all along, you wouldn't be willing to confirm any other ideas I might be having about her and Shikamaru?"

"Feelings for someone don't necessarily always lead to romance, sometimes they're just feelings," Lee said after a moment. He looked at Neji evenly, dark eyes narrowed slightly.

"Maybe if you hadn't lost touch with her, you wouldn't be fishing around like you are now," Lee pointed out. "If only you hadn't let the fragile bloom of her company slip from your careless fingers…Oh Neji, how could you!"

Neji gave the standing Lee a reasonably strong shove which sent him stumbling (but not falling). Shuffling back over, the shiny-haired ninja sat next to his old comrade as if the entire event never took place.

"Don't worry about Shikamaru," Lee said finally. "Your youth shines brighter than his!"

Neji rolled his eyes, wondering why he felt a little better.

**-O-**

"Okay, no more houses, we're going straight back to your place," Temari ordered Shikamaru, who had absolutely no argument with her desire.

"You guys want to go back already?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"I'm sick of dragging all this candy around," Kankurou muttered.

"And sick of getting a lecture from some strange woman about how your character's actions were absolutely despicable?" Kiba teased, reminding him how a woman started a rant about how Kill Bill encouraged violence against women and the like.

"Shut up, she acted like everything was all my fault," Kankurou grumbled.

"I don't see how any guy would want to tussle with her," Tenten remarked.

"She was a beast, I know," Kiba agreed.

"I never expected so much candy, especially after I lost my first bag," Hinata said softly.

"Well, O-Ren is a popular character," Sakura shrugged. "You're much nicer, though, Hinata-chan."

"Thank you," Hinata blushed, smiling. "But people liked your costume a lot too."

_Of course they did_, Inner Sakura bragged.

"Oh, but not as much as yours," Sakura said sweetly.

"I hope that Ino-girl of yours can cook," Kankurou mumbled. "I'm starving, and I refuse to look on one more piece of candy."

"Ino's a great cook," Sakura gushed. "But I bet that's not all she was doing. Shikamaru, she's been so excited about this for weeks. It's all she's been talking about. I bet she's got decorations up and everything."

Temari frowned at the small smile Shikamaru allowed himself. It wasn't just amusement at an old teammate's antics, either. He almost looked a bit embarrassed at the attention that Ino was surely allotting for this venture, but definitely not in a bad way. Temari didn't want to think that in all the time she'd spent with him, that he'd end up picking Ino instead.

"Sounds like she's trying a bit too hard," Temari muttered. "Why doesn't she just throw herself at you?"

"Watch it, Temari," Shikamaru told her, a dark look halting any scathing retorts.

Temari felt her heart seize. How was it that he could do what no other man could? He didn't even have to raise his voice and she was cowed. Adjusting her veil so it covered her face, she dropped away from his side and walked next to her brother.

"I hope Gaara didn't scare any kids," Sakura said thoughtfully.

"Not that he'd have to try too hard," Kiba laughed, grin disappearing when he made accidental eye contact with Kankurou.

"He probably didn't have to, since Ino and Jou were there," Tenten said.

"Actually, Shino probably helped them too," Hinata piped up. "He's quite helpful."

Frowning at the admiration in her voice, Kiba stuck out his chin. "I would have helped if they needed it," he told her.

"I know that, Kiba-kun," Hinata said shyly, inwardly smiling at the huge grin she caused.

"I can't wait to get back," Kiba yelled. "We're gonna have a PARTY!"

**-O-**

**TBC**

Yes, I am a cold-hearted bitch, ending it there for now, but honestly, this is nearly thirty pages long and I don't need a sixty-paged chapter on my hands. It got a lot more long and complex than I originally envisioned. Don't worry, I started the second part (okay, I have the first sentence). Anyway, please review (nicely). I'll update as soon as I can (hey, I write to procrastinate from schoolwork, so I'll be working on this quite a bit). Yay for parenthesis in this last paragraph.


	14. Treat

**Treat**

Sonnie

Gaara knew he should have said something before Ino began to light the candles. Once again it occurred to him that maybe Shikamaru (or more likely Tenten) had put fresh batteries in the smoke alarm when they moved in. But not wishing to provoke a possible argument, Gaara remained silent and watched as she used regular matches to light the wicks.

"Those guys had better get back soon; I'm starving," Chouji moaned. "And it doesn't help that all I smell are cakes and pies."

Gaara had to concede that just based on smell alone, Ino was an outstanding cook; however, he wasn't ever going to admit that or anything. He wasn't particularly partial to any kinds of food other than meat.

Gaara nearly jumped out of his skin as Jou stirred on the couch, drawing her feet up so they were level with her head. The only thing that prevented them from landing flat on his thighs was her ankles sitting on the armrest. Gaara wasn't quite sure how to extricate himself without touching her.

"Aw, she's one of those people that looks really scary when she sleeps," Ino said sorrowfully, completely oblivious to Gaara's rather high level of discomfort. "She looks upset."

Shino's jacket hid the lower part of his face, but Gaara could tell he was smirking when Jou shifted again and her knees brushed his chest.

"Here," Shino said after a moment, perhaps fearing that Gaara's sand might react. He was wide awake and alert; the sand wasn't going to perceive her as a threat since his guard was so high, but if Shino was going to move her he wasn't going to stop him.

The Aburame ninja very smoothly hooked an arm under her knees and gracefully pulled her towards the middle. Her long black braid fell only inches from Gaara's lap, invading his personal space.

"You could just wake her up and tell her to move," Shino said after Gaara simply stared at the offending piece of hair.

"Or you could act like any normal guy that has a pretty girl sitting next to him," Chouji suggested, "unless the fact she's related to Lee is creeping you out."

Glaring at them both, Gaara crossed his arms, determined to do nothing unless the situation changed.

Sighing loudly, Ino walked over to the girl purposefully. "Hey, Jou, wake up," she said, tapping the girl with her toe gently. Dark eyes blinked open.

"Is Lee-chan here?" Jou asked sleepily.

"No, they haven't even gotten back from trick-or-treating yet," Ino told her. "I just wanted to wake you up because you keep invading Gaara's personal space."

"Huh?" Jou's eyes slid to her right, where Gaara was pointedly looking away from her. She could tell from his body language, however, that he was pressed against the arm of the couch as far away from her as possible.

"Whoops," Jou said quietly, edging away from him too. "Sorry."

"Whatever," Gaara muttered back.

"Hey, I think they're back!" Ino said excitedly, moving towards the door. The silhouettes of seven people could be seen down the street. Before her hand could touch the knob, a loud hissing noise erupted from the ceiling.

_Oh, shit._

Gaara knew the sand wasn't about to protect him from what was going to happen next, so he bolted for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jou called, grabbing onto his arm mechanically. Done on pure impulse, she remembered her brother's words too late. _Don't touch him._

Turning on her swiftly, Gaara glared down at her until she meekly released him. Gaara fled without looking back. Jou remained rooted on the spot, even when the sprinklers threw down a torrent of water.

"Oh no!" Ino cried, running through the apartment trying to salvage anything she could. Chouji had already grabbed the bag of snacks and Shino had rescued his cookies, but every single decoration Ino had put up had been ruined, along with every piece of furniture. Even Jou had come to her senses and had fled. Ino plopped down on the wet couch, not caring that she was getting soaked.

_I'm so sorry, Shikamaru,_ she thought mournfully, icy water dripping down her face. _This is all my fault…_

**-O-**

"God, I hope those idiots are okay," Tenten said absently. "I mean, Gaara's in there…no offense."

"Well, Chouji, Shino, and Jou won't be causing any problems," Shikamaru said. "But Ino…well…"

"Jou's fairly good at keeping the peace," Tenten explained. "I mean, she can calm Lee down pretty well, and not just anyone can do that. I don't know if she can handle Gaara, but she should be okay with Ino."

"And Jou doesn't hit people, thank god," Shikamaru grunted. "As long as she can prevent Ino from…Of course, only someone who wanted to commit suicide would purposefully go after Gaara."

Kankurou shrugged, knowing he was pretty much right.

"Truthfully, the only person Jou's ever hit in her life was Neji," Tenten said. "And he did kind of deserve it."

"Well, as long as Ino and Gaara didn't have a fight, then I think we're good…" Shikamaru trailed off. "I just want everything to be in one piece when we get back."

'Umm," Hinata really hated to bring it to their attention, but all during their conversation she'd been zeroing in on the apartment. With her bloodline limit she'd been able to make out the form of everyone running out of the apartment.

"What the—?"

"Damn," Tenten cursed, taking off her shoes and sprinting to the house.

Shikamaru's eyes scanned the lawn, finding a fairly mellow Chouji, a mildly distressed Shino, a vacant looking Jou, and a pissed off Gaara. Everyone was soaking wet; he knew something had to set off the sprinkler system.

_A fire?_

"_Ino!"_

Shikamaru was in the apartment instantly, quite possibly the fastest anyone had seen him move. Tenten also ran inside.

"Ino?" Shikamaru found her easily, sitting hunched over on the sofa. He was relieved that she appeared unhurt. She lifted her head slowly, tears barely visible in through the water.

"I'm so sorry, Shikamaru," she told him very quietly. "I ruined everything."

"What are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his, giving the cold, clammy palms a warm squeeze.

"I had everything almost perfect," Ino choked out, a sob stuck in her throat. "_I tried so hard_…and I wasn't thinking and now I've gone and ruined _everything_!"

"Ino…" Shikamaru wasn't stupid; he knew when she said 'everything' she meant more than the party. Tenten ran past him, sprinting into her bedroom, but Shikamaru barely noticed as he sat down next to Ino.

"Look, Ino…this was an accident," Shikamaru explained softly. God, he couldn't stand it when girls cried, especially Ino…

"But it's still my fault!" Ino cried. "I'm so much trouble! Temari would never cause you this much trouble. I'm never going to be as good as her!"

"Ino, I don't care how troublesome you are," Shikamaru said automatically, realizing belatedly that it was actually true. "You could have burned this place to the ground, and while I wouldn't be happy, I wouldn't love you any less."

Ino blinked. _Love?_

"You can't think of your relationship with me as a competition," Shikamaru told her. "It doesn't work like that. You each mean separate things to me."

Ino felt her heart break; here it was, the whole 'you're my best friend, but I can't think of you as more than that' speech. Standing abruptly, she tried to flee before she realized that Shikamaru had trapped her in his shadow. Face screwing up in frustration, it made her even angrier that she hadn't even thought of that.

"Ino, hear me out," Shikamaru said, face as serious as it ever was but the eyes had an unusual urgent look. "I'm not ready to make this choice final yet…I don't even know what I want. It's selfish to ask you not to give up on me when I'm not even giving myself a chance, but there's some stuff I have to sort out first. I'm asking you to trust me…please?"

"It's so hard to ask that of a person when there's such a big chance they'll end up second place," Ino told him fiercely.

"But I was second place to Sasuke all those years," Shikamaru told her simply.

"And by the time I was ready to see the light, _poof_, there's Temari," Ino said bitterly. She felt the shadow bind release her, but she didn't flee. The sprinklers around her were dying away, but the intensity between her and Shikamaru hadn't dissipated a bit.

"Ino, I'm just asking for a little time," Shikamaru pleaded. "Can you give me that, knowing you'll be in first place?"

Ino hesitated. "What about Temari?" she asked finally.

"I…I don't know," Shikamaru said honestly. "I care about her a lot, I really do; that isn't going to change, you know. You're both good at making me feel guilty, you're both walking all over me at every given moment, and you both give me hell about being lazy, which I think is an unfair assessment in some cases. You're both insecure and cover it up with an annoying amount of arrogance; you're just prissier about it than she is. You're even more troublesome…but you're worth it."

"Shikamaru," Ino said faintly, walking up to him slowly. She rested both hands on his chest as she gazed into his eyes.

"THAT WAS THE WORSE CONFESSION OF LOVE I'VE EVER HEARD! PLUS YOU'RE DRESSED LIKE AN OLD MAN WITH EYEBROWS SCARIER THAN ROCK LEE'S!"

Shikamaru blinked, sighed, and hung his head. _So much trouble…_

Hoping to shut her up (and just because he sort of wanted to, maybe), he put his arms around Ino, not caring that her skin was ice cold and clammy and that she was getting glitter all over his fake beard. Ino hugged him back, realizing it was the first time she'd hugged him since he passed his exam. Giggling naughtily, she smiled as she her fingers up and down his chest, causing him to inhale sharply.

_Nara, what are you getting yourself into?_ Shikamaru asked himself helplessly as he found himself returning Ino's not so innocent grin.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Temari's voice called from the doorway.

Ino was surprised when Shikamaru didn't jump away from her. She wasn't facing the older woman and could only image the look on her face as she backed wordlessly away. As much as Ino liked competing with Sakura for Sasuke, she never liked competing against Temari. She knew Sasuke would pick Sakura over her, but she wasn't sure about who Shikamaru would pick and that had always made her afraid.

_And now…I'm actually feeling sorry for her?_ Ino thought wildly, pressing her face against Shikamaru's chest. _I'm actually feeling sympathy for that pushy, rude, arrogant, fan-wielding witch with bad hair? I really thought I'd be able to gloat about this…and now I can't even enjoy it because I feel bad! Damn it!_

Shikamaru, perhaps sensing the change in Ino, backed up and eyed her surreptitiously. He sighed inwardly. His heart knew he made the right choice, but his mind…?

_Shikamaru, you deserve every bit of pain this girl inflicts on you_, his sense of reason cackled mercilessly. Shikamaru wondered why he never did get what he wanted…an average looking girl who'd let him get away with slacking off…and looked at Ino and realized he'd never be able to settle for that.

_Well, you'd better hope things are going to work out with Ino, because things with you and Temari are certainly going to be awkward as hell_, he thought grimly. _At least Ino can cook…Oh, I hope Kankurou doesn't kill me…Puppets are so troublesome._

"Hey, guys, we'd better go outside with the others before they start to worry," Tenten suggested, holding a small wooden box in her hands. "It's too late to call the landlady…and there's no way we can stay in here tonight…I guess we'll have to crash somewhere else."

"We can decide all that when we get outside," Shikamaru said, somewhat reluctantly releasing Ino. He was grateful Tenten didn't say anything; they understood each other very well.

"So what happened?" Kiba asked, voice nearly barreling them over when they got outside.

"Apparently the sprinkler system still works," Tenten said, trying not to smile.

"It wasn't really all that funny," Jou pouted, crossing her arms as her wet bangs hung in her eyes.

"It wasn't funny at all," Gaara corrected, looking at Tenten pointedly.

"Well, pretty much all of our stuff is trashed, so I say let's forget the party part and divvy up the candy," Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm not keeping any of it. Here, Chouji, you can have all of mine."

Kiba just about died when Hinata walked over to Shino and offered him half. Shino parted with half of his cookies in return, much to her delight. Despite the fact they weren't on a team any longer, both boys still placed a high value on her personal attention, though Shino didn't try as overtly hard as Kiba.

"So do we just go home now?" Sakura asked, hands on her hips aimlessly.

"I hate to say it, but everything in there is ruined," Tenten admitted. "We can't throw a party in there. Hell, Shikamaru and I are going to have to find somewhere else to stay for the night, and I guess you three do too."

Gaara recalled in the past how he and his siblings used to stay in special quarters arranged by Tsunade-sama. Such times had passed, relationships had strengthened, and things had become more casual. He wasn't looking forward to staying in a hotel, not at all. Not with large groups of people…

"They can stay at my place," Jou piped up. "It's a weekend, so my band mates won't be staying over tonight. There's room, if you guys want it. It's nothing like you're used to in Suna, I'm sure, but it should suffice."

Temari hesitated. She wasn't sure how she'd feel staying at a stranger's house. It wasn't as if she was a threat; Temari had been more dangerous when she was six. Jou seemed very nice…not suspiciously so, but in the same overwhelming way her brother was. She seemed to make Gaara uncomfortable and that was more than enough of a reason to say no.

"Sure, sounds good," Kankurou said easily with a shrug. "You can cook, right…?"

_Dumbass_, Temari groaned mentally, knowing that declining now would just be rude. She didn't want to argue in front of everyone. Gaara said nothing; he looked rather apathetic but Temari could detect he wasn't terribly pleased.

"Hey, why's everyone outside?"

The group turned and saw Rock Lee, who was practically jumping from side to side. Temari noted, unsurprised, that Neji had given him a wide berth. Lee, completely unaware of his ex-teammates attempts to alienate him, smiled contentedly as his strange eyes went from person to person.

_The man just has too much energy! _Temari thought sourly, trying to think of anything besides how horrible her night was turning out. True, trick-or-treating had been sort of fun, but when she'd gotten back and seen Shikamaru and Ino together, she knew her life had changed forever. She didn't want it to sink in until she was alone.

"We've had a little incident," Tenten said sheepishly, "and the sprinklers went off. Now we're trying to decide where to stay tonight."

"You can stay with me, Tenten," Kiba said gamely. "I'll even help you out of that dress."

Tenten smiled, knowing Kiba was just playing around. "Sorry, Kiba, but Elle Driver is too much woman for you."

Her wink silenced him, but Kiba just grinned. Neji frowned…how long had she been like this?

"You could stay with me, Tenten," Hinata spoke up.

"No, Hiashi would not allow it," Neji interceded.

"That's a big surprise," Jou muttered, practically inaudible.

"He does not disapprove of you, but you aren't particularly at your best," Hinata whispered.

Tenten shrugged. "That's true, I guess," she admitted readily. "I do kind of look like a hooker, and I doubt Hiashi-sama has seen _Kill Bill_."

"You can stay at my place, too," Jou offered. "I know there isn't much room upstairs, but I can sleep in my basement. Lee's going to stay over too, right?"

Kankurou scowled. Thick-brows was going to be there too? He wasn't sure if he had the patience to deal with him, and Gaara looked a bit more pissed off than usual.

"Of course, Jou-chan!" Lee said emphatically, fist pumping the air. "We can have a Kill Bill _MARATHON_!"

Temari really didn't want to admit it, but she _had_ been kind of curious about her character. It would also get her mind off of Shikamaru, if only for a few hours. Determined not to sulk, she braced herself for a challenging evening at the house of Rock Lee's sister.

"Hey, Tenten," Jou said suddenly. "I'm going to head back with these guys awhile. They're probably tired. Take your time, okay?"

Temari wondered why in the hell the girl would try and convince the only sane one to 'take her time' before she realized that she was encouraging her to talk to Neji. While it was fairly obvious that Neji and Jou did not care for each other, they were nice enough around Tenten, or they at least stopped their disagreements before they turned into arguments.

"Alright," Tenten nodded.

"See you later!" Jou called, heading down the street with her brother and three rather disgruntled looking Sand siblings.

Tenten looked at Kiba, who was rather disappointed that the party wasn't going to happen. "Hey, we'll have a party again really soon. Lee's party is less than a month away, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right," Kiba admitted. "Still, you're not going to look that hot at Lee's party, I bet."

Tenten laughed. "You perv, you could give Jiraiya a run for his money," she told him playfully. "Why don't you, Shino, Sakura and Hinata head back to your place and hang out? That way you don't have to worry about sharing your candy with too many other people."

"Well…" Kiba looked at Chouji speculatively. "I guess you're right."

Hinata, Kiba, and Sakura all exchanged glances at each other, then at Neji and Tenten. Deciding that the two _really_ needed to talk, they headed on their way without too much fuss.

"And you three," Tenten pointed to the former Team ten, "can all go back to Chouji's place, right?"

Considering the situation, it was actually what they'd prefer to do, so they acquiesced and walked off towards Chouji's house after assorted goodbyes. Ino cast a curious glance over her shoulder but continued walking. Eventually, only Neji and Tenten were left.

"So…" Tenten began, not having any idea where to start.

Neji said nothing, not even looking at her.

"Wow, this is pretty awkward," Tenten chattered mindlessly. "I mean, here I am in a nurse's uniform that's probably see-through by now, not that it matters because of your Byakugan and all…hey, just out of curiosity, you've never done that to me, have you?"

Neji, completely taken aback by the question, merely looked at her skeptically.

"Yeah, I know, why would you, I mean, I know I'm not that pretty—"

"—Stop talking."

Tenten's mouth slid shut. Shifting her weight back and forth between her feet to compensate, she stiffened and stood stick straight when Neji took another step towards her.

"What is your problem today?" he asked her finally. "You've been very edgy."

"Umm…I don't know?" Tenten shrugged lightly, giving him a sheepish grin. Not having anything else to say, she changed the subject.

"Can I go inside and see if I can change into anything dry?" she asked suddenly.

Neji nodded wordlessly, accompanying her inside the ruined apartment but stopping inside the door. She swiped her hand across the counter, knocked away the water droplets, and sat a small wooden box down. He wondered briefly what he and Tenten were going to talk about…that is, if they ever got around to talking. Was he supposed to ask questions?

"Damn, everything's a bit damp, but anything's better than this," Tenten's voice came from her bedroom. "Be prepared for a sight, because I'm coming out in my driest clothes and they aren't going to be pretty."

Neji wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just said nothing as he stared pointedly at the door. Hearing her behind him, he turned, only to see her run into Shikamaru's room wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"Damn, how'd his room get less wet than mine?" Tenten muttered. "Oh well, he's not going to miss this stuff…OH MY GOD!"

"What?" Neji asked finally.

"His shirts are _too small!"_ Tenten wailed.

"In all fairness, if you did fill out his shirts properly, it would probably mean that Shikamaru has the body of a woman," Neji pointed out.

"While that would certainly explain some of his characteristics, I know it's not true," Tenten muttered. "Definitely not."

"…Did you actually see him naked like you said?" Neji asked casually.

"Yeah, and it wasn't like anything I was expecting," Tenten's disembodied voice told him. It sounded like she was changing out of a shirt.

Neji was feeling a bit curious about what she thought of Shikamaru being naked, but didn't want to sound _too_ curious.

"He's a lot fitter than I had originally assumed…he's actually quite sexy," Tenten admitted, a smile in her voice.

Neji threw a look back at the bedroom, half tempted to use Byakugan in retaliation for her confession.

"But still…I know you've probably heard some rumors, but I could never, ever have a sexual relationship with Shikamaru," Tenten said firmly. "That lazy ass would make me do all the work."

Neji felt a smirk settle on his features.

"And even though we did kiss, it was only once and that was enough to get it out of my system," Tenten said, emerging from the bedroom in a pair of Shikamaru's slacks and one of his coats. "First kisses should always lead to second kisses, and if they don't, then you know it just won't work. Seriously, if you can get over an attraction to someone after one kiss, it's not a good basis for a sexual relationship."

"…Why are you telling me all this?" Neji inquired.

"In case you wanted to find out, since we both know you'd never ask," Tenten said simply. "I will tell you everything that happened during the mission if you'd like."

Neji said nothing…did he really need to know anything else as long as he knew she had emerged with her virginity intact?

"Yes or no, Neji."

Tenten's dark brown eyes were on him unflinchingly, rather strange considering that she was still wearing the blonde wig.

"Fine, tell me if you want," Neji muttered.

"Okay," Tenten began as they exited the apartment, "we were supposed to meet a client at this upscale club and bar…and she was taking _forever_ so we ended up drinking a little bit. We weren't yet sharing an apartment, so I guess you could say we were kind of curious about one another…there was some sexual tension, I won't lie.

"So apparently, tequila is the only drink on the planet that turns Shikamaru into a happy drunk, and after we both had a few…well, we were kind of flirtatious and affectionate. We ended up dancing together all night and Shikamaru even (willingly!) entered a dance competition. Jou's band was playing at the club that night and one of her band members, you know, Izari, the tall leggy blonde, was also competing. Shikamaru actually _beat_ her. Izari! In a dance competition!"

Neji digested this information…Izari was widely acknowledged as the band's heartthrob…vivacious, beautiful, and feisty, not to mention that everyone was always raving about the dances she choreographed for their videos. Shikamaru beat _her_? He wasn't terribly familiar with Izari's routines but felt confident that anyone with a heartbeat could beat Shikamaru at dancing, even someone in a catatonic state. Hell, if Lee was unconscious and could still find it in him to stand up…

"Yeah…Shikamaru is a great dancer…he just needs some good old-fashioned alcohol in him," Tenten confided. "We were celebrating with some more drinks, so naturally that's when the client walked in. She thought we were married (newlyweds, no less) because of the way we were carrying on and offered to pay our way at the local inn in repayment for being so late. She plunked down the cash for the honeymoon suite and everything. We just never found it in us to correct her."

"And that's when you two kissed?" Neji asked, finding a break in her story.

"Well, we ended up just laying on the bed and talking about random stuff…Shikamaru worried about Chouji on a mission to Mist and I was sort of complaining that I never got to see you…and we just talked until we both fell asleep. I kissed him the next morning, after we both woke up, just because. And it was good (great, actually), but it wasn't what a kiss is supposed to be."

"And what is a kiss supposed to be?" Neji asked her skeptically.

"Well…it's a lot of different things," she said after awhile, eyes drifting to the lampposts as they walked down the street. She wasn't sure they had a destination, really, they were just walking.

"You're starting to sound like Lee," Neji told her disdainfully. "All he kept telling me was that you don't have to know anything to love someone else."

Tenten smiled. "That Lee…"

**-O-**

Jou had barely opened her door when Lee zipped through and threw himself onto her collection of DVDs stacked precariously on top of the coffee table. Finding the yellow volume of Kill Bill, he quickly inserted it into her DVD player. Turning on the TV, he motioned wildly for the Sand Siblings to sit down on the couch.

Gaara watched as his brother and sister visibly flinched at the green living room. The green couch sported new green cushions, only lime green instead of Kelly green. All the clothes that had cluttered the floor from his last visit were gone.

Gaara's nerves were rather frayed; he wasn't sure if he could stand sitting still for more than twenty minutes. His eyes flickered briefly to the screen, frowning at the odd song that began to play on the menu screen. This feeling of randomness was quickly overcome after Lee pressed _play_.

_What the hell is this?_ Gaara thought, staring at the black and white footage of a bleeding woman panting helplessly on the ground. _Lee likes this type of movie?_

"Eww," Temari grimaced, sitting down on the couch despite her disgust.

"I know I've seen parts of this before," Kankurou muttered, taking a seat next to Temari. Gaara sat on his left, having deposited his gourd by the entrance to the kitchen.

Temari jumped at the gunshot, hand over her mouth and face aghast, as was Kankurou. Gaara glanced over to see the kitchen light was now on; either Jou or Lee was getting food, and judging by their size, he bet it was the latter. Sure enough, Lee emerged with a strange food Gaara had never seen before.

"…What's that?" he asked, pointing to it disapprovingly.

"Popcorn," Lee said slowly, temporarily forgetting where his guests came from. "Corn won't grow in the desert, so I guess you wouldn't have any…"

Gaara eyed the food carefully with his teal eyes before carefully plucking on fluffy piece up and placing it in his mouth. Blinking as he mulled over the taste, he carefully extricated the entire bowl from Lee, who didn't seem to mind at all. The plucky jounin simply emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later with two more bowls, handing one to Kankurou and Temari to share and keeping the other for himself.

_This is such an odd movie_, Gaara thought, not for the first time. _Why didn't Beatrix just kill that little girl? She's just going to grow up and try to kill her…_

Lee was perched in his armchair, completely engrossed. He had set down his bowl of popcorn, not noticing when tendrils of sand lifted the bowl and carried it towards Gaara, who replaced it with his now empty one.

"Ugh," Temari was disgusted now; these men were having sex with a comatose woman? She grinned when they both met their bloody end, a satisfied smirk falling into place as the last door slam collided with the man's head.

_This movie isn't too bad,_ Temari conceded, popping another handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Kankurou laughed out loud when he saw the name "Pussy Wagon" emblazoned on the set of keys to Beatrix's new car.

Lee cheered when, 'thirteen hours later,' Beatrix Kiddo had not only wiggled her big toe, but drove away in the yellow monstrosity itself.

Gaara was paying attention to the movie, but found it curious that Jou was nowhere in sight. Not sure if he wanted to see her or not, he definitely wanted to resolve whatever awkwardness was between them. He didn't like being uncomfortable around people; it was supposed to be the other way around. Jou wasn't quite afraid of him, but she was definitely restrained.

"Hey, does your sister have anymore popcorn?" Kankurou asked, waving his bowl around airily.

"I made the whole box," Lee told him. "She might have other stuff if you're still hungry. Do you want me to go get her?"

"Yeah, sure," Kankurou shrugged. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Getting changed," Jou's voice said from the doorway. Now garbed in a green tank top and black shorts, it was perhaps her green marabou slippers that struck everyone else as odd. "I'm surprised you guys didn't do the same."

"Well, it's not as if I'm wearing anything too weird," Kankurou told her.

"Considering you run around in a jumpsuit and kabuki paint every other day," Gaara mumbled.

"Brat!"

"SHUT UP!"

Temari glared imperiously at all of them, angry face framed by a rather lovely veil. Everyone just blinked, not wishing to anger her further.

"Thank you," Temari sniffed, turning her attention back to the television. O-Ren had just shot someone through the head; exciting stuff this was.

"Uh…yeah…" Jou trailed off, glancing at Temari. "Anyone want some food?"

"Surprise me," Temari mumbled.

"I have no preference," Gaara said blankly.

"I've already seen this part of the movie, so can I just look around in your kitchen and pick whatever I want?" Kankurou asked hopefully.

_Idiot_, Temari sighed.

_Jackass_, Gaara sighed.

"Sure," Jou's voice was bright as Kankurou followed her to the kitchen. "My band keeps a lot of their food in here too, and there's really nothing they probably wouldn't mind you having except—"

"What's this?"

"The one thing they wouldn't let you have," Jou told him. "It's a coconut. But I'll tell you what, I have some coconut cake in the fridge that I yesterday; how about a slice of that?"

"I don't know if I want to eat a cake that looks like these things…"

"You don't use that part in food, only the inside!"

"So it's not going to look brown and hairy."

_Dumbass_, Gaara thought, rolling this eyes.

"No."

"Okay…wow, it's all white and fluffy looking."

"That's because—oh, never mind."

"This is really good…you actually made this?"

"Yeah."

"I think you're the first girl in this place I've met that can cook."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else you can make, like maybe a—"

"Kankurou, that's kind of rude," Temari told him from the living room.

"No, I don't mind," Jou shrugged. "I make stuff for Lee all the time."

"Would you be willing to make more than one thing?

"Kankurou, shut up," Gaara said.

"She offered," Kankurou countered childishly. "How many other places in Konoha could we get free food like this? I'm hungry, and candy isn't going to cut it."

"Do you realize what time it is?" Gaara asked him tiredly.

"Actually, I'm hungry too, so ask away," Jou's voice was cheerful. "My drummer has me hooked on this new kind of…"

"Your sister's kind of strange," Temari told Lee flatly, sparing him a glance.

"Well, yeah," Lee said, rubbing a sore spot on the back of his neck. "But your brother's weird, too."

"True, true," Gaara said, shaking his head when he heard the two of them discussing various ways to make marinades.

"Food always puts him in the strangest mood," Temari muttered. "So it's probably good that he and Tenten never went out to dinner when they were dating."

"Were?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, they're not together anymore," Temari muttered.

"Why, that is most excellent!" Lee exclaimed, standing suddenly and punching the air. "The way is clear for Neji at last! I'm sure he will use this opportunity to give Tenten the proper attention she deserves!"

"This is Neji we're talking about, Lee-chan," Jou's voice drifted in from the kitchen. "It's going to take him forever to make a move, granted he even knows they ended their relationship. He's probably as clueless as ever."

**-O-**

Neji and Tenten found themselves by their old training grounds. Tenten's clothes had completely dried out, but now she was just plain cold. She felt the strands of yellow hair clinging to her face.

"Hey, Neji…" she began slowly.

"Yes?"

"Do I look cute as a blonde?"

Neji sent her a withering glare in response.

"Come on, it was a serious question!" Tenten exclaimed.

Neji briefly considered his response; while it looked good, it wasn't really beautiful, and since "cute" and "pretty" were simply not in his vocabulary and therefore not an option, he remained silent.

"It's just not you," he settled on finally.

"You miss the hair buns, don't you, Neji?" Tenten asked him playfully, smiling knowingly.

Neji gave her a half-hearted indignant glare that dissolved into his usual aloof frown.

"If you don't miss the hair buns, do you at least miss me?" Tenten asked him bravely.

Neji paused briefly before returning a nod. "Not many people know Byakugan's blind spot outside the family…you're the first person I've ever told about it," Neji said very neutrally. "It's been a long time since we've fought on a mission together."

"I know," Tenten agreed. "You have Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata on your team. I get that lazy Nara bum and more often than not one or more of the Sand siblings. Not that that's a bad thing," she amended hastily. "Oh, and Lee…I get to go on missions with Lee."

"I'm surprised Gaara hasn't tried to kill him yet," Neji commented.

"Well, it wouldn't be good for diplomatic relations, that's for sure," Tenten said with a laugh. "And Lee's really nice to all of them…I'm not sure if they like him, but they certainly don't dislike him…even Gaara, believe it or not."

"Those poor ninjas don't know what they're getting into, going to Jou's house," Neji muttered.

"You really don't like her," Tenten said, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle.

"Well, one of her band mates got into a fight with Hanabi a few months back," Neji said darkly.

"That would be Izari," Tenten said knowingly. The blonde played rhythm guitar and was quite good…however she was also rather antagonistic and would often pick fights, sometimes within the band. Jou was never a target but always had to break up the frequent spats. However, her favorite pastime was targeting those she thought were too egotistical and having a go at deflating them.

"She told Hanabi to stop complaining that I was better," Neji said. "Her exact words were 'if my parents slapped a brand on me like a cow and forced me into slavery I think I'd get my ass into gear, if only just for spite,' and then the conversation just went downhill from there."

"Yeah, Izari's just…yeah," Tenten shook her head. The woman was rich, vain, snooty, and tactless; yet absolutely a riot to be around. And after someone had earned her respect, she was just as steadfastly loyal as Lee.

_It's really nice of Jou to let the Sand siblings stay with her just so Neji and I could talk, _Tenten thought. _Jou doesn't even like Neji…not at all. I hope none of them are too much for her to handle._

**-O-**

"Wow, that's one of the weirdest scars I've ever seen."

In the living room, Gaara and Temari both rolled their eyes, the latter slapping her forehead in disgust.

"It's a stab wound."

"How'd you get it?"

"A knife."

Gaara snickered.

"No, I meant—"

"—I know, I was kidding. My friend Izari started a fight one time when we were all at a bar. She wanted to knock some heads together and I got dragged into it. It was actually a good night, except for the hospital part. I'd never played _Locked Heart_ and _All Shook Up _better."

"Hey Kankurou, we're starting the second movie," Temari told him, succeeding in drawing him out of the kitchen. He handed them each a plate with a piece of fluffy white coconut cake on (what else?) a green plate, saving himself a generous slice. Jou handed her brother a piece with a smile.

"I saved you the biggest piece, Lee-chan," she said, holding out a glass of milk. Gaara's eyes lingered on their smiles a moment.

"Ah, milk, perfect for building and maintaining the frame of my youthful body!" Lee exclaimed, eagerly downing the milk and eating the cake.

Temari choked on her mouthful. "I really don't think milk is going to do something that running around the village a hundred times every day can't," she muttered, smiling a bit as the flavor of the icing melted on her tongue. "You made this?"

"Yeah," Jou said, offering Temari and Kankurou two glasses of water, which they eagerly accepted. "My mother was a great cook; when she was little she used to work at my uncle's restaurant, back when it was owned by their dad." She set a glass of milk in front of Gaara. "Lee-chan told me you like milk."

Gaara nodded wordlessly, eating his first bite of cake. Narrowing his eyes, he managed to gently lower the cake and fork onto the table.

"You don't like it, do you?"

Gaara shook his head, taking a generous sip of milk.

Jou gave him an appraising look and suddenly broke into a smile. "I know just the thing!"

The second movie began and she had still not come back. Gaara turned his attention back to the screen, eyes occasionally darting to the entrance to the kitchen. He heard shuffling and the sound of something being cut. A rather loud curse escaped the other room, which Lee was completely unaware of.

_I think he's in denial,_ Gaara thought, noticing how Lee didn't even flinch at the rather abrasive swear word. _The only woman I know that doesn't curse is Hinata, and that's only because she hardly ever talks._

Jou came out ten minutes later with a bowl containing a rather juicy substance. The fleshy pulp of the fruit was yellow and fragrant.

"I thought I'd just go with the whole tropical fruit, so I sliced you a fresh pineapple," she said with a huge smile. "It gave me the perfect excuse to eat half, too."

"But Jou-chan, if you'd only asked me, I would have sliced it all for you," Lee told her ardently.

_Do normal families act like this?_ Temari said, their sweet interaction driving her insane as she finished the last bite of her cake.

"I know, but I wanted you to enjoy your favorite movie," Jou said with a smile, holding out the green bowl to the Sand nin.

Gaara took the fork with apprehension; his first encounter with her food hadn't been pleasant. He carefully dropped a very small piece in his mouth, making a face.

"Oh my god, you hate it too, don't you?" Jou looked horrorstricken.

"It's a bit more tart than I expected," Gaara told her simply.

"Do you want something else?" Jou asked.

"This will suffice," Gaara told her gravely.

"Hey, can I try some?" Kankurou asked, and Gaara acquiesced, even passing the bowl to Temari so she could take a piece. Gaara looked up as he registered something that was definitely not in the movie.

"Your phone is ringing," he told her flatly.

Jou smiled sheepishly. "So it is."

Trotting over to the wall by the kitchen entrance, she picked up the lime green cordless phone.

"Hello?"

Three alarmed Sand siblings stared at her as she collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"No, no, Mika-chan, it's fine, Tenten's going to—no, that's what I'm trying to say!"

Kankurou's head perked up at Tenten's name.

"Just calm down, I'm serious, it's her—Look, I have guests, I have to go, but I'll talk to you later. Bye Mika-chan!"

Jou giggled some more. "Well, Tenten's apparently making some progress with that jerk," she said, laughing again. "Mika was so concerned because Neji was 'seen in the company of a really pretty blonde tonight and they were headed towards his old training ground' and stuff. She was so worried about Tenten until I told her that she's still probably wearing that wig from trick-or-treating."

"Still?" Gaara asked, muscle in his cheek twitching.

"She probably thinks it's funny," Jou said with a grin. "God, Neji's such a prick but I guess if he makes her happy…"

**-O-**

"I thought that one was Cassiopeia," Neji said, frowning.

"Nope, that's her husband, Cepheus," Tenten corrected. "And that one right there is Andromeda, their daughter. See, one big family unit up in the sky."

Neji had been _sure_ that it was Cassiopeia. He turned and looked at her questioningly.

"What's wrong, Neji?" Tenten asked, smiling at his irritated look. He turned abruptly from her mocking grin and looked skyward again. "You can't be good at everything, even though you're a genius."

"Just because you know astrology—"

"Actually, this is astronomy," Tenten clarified. "At least what we're doing right now. You'd just laugh if I tried to talk about astrology."

"I wouldn't if I still believed in fate," Neji told her, turning his head over to face her, marveling how, not for the first time, she'd managed to convince him to lay on the glass with her and look up at the sky.

_At least when Shikamaru does this during the day, everyone can see him,_ Neji thought. _And no one's here to see us now…together…_

"You don't believe in fate anymore?" Tenten asked him, surprised.

Neji hesitated, not sure what he really felt on the matter. It was easy to write things off as fate, such as losing to Naruto or even growing apart from Tenten, but it wasn't justification and it certainly wasn't something that would ever satisfy any doubts he had on the latter subject. He wanted to believe that he had a choice in what he felt.

"The clock's a ticking, Neji," Tenten reminded him, poking her wrist where her invisible watch supposedly rested.

"When I put my stock in fate, nothing was ever really in my control," Neji told her. "And even if I can't change one thing if I believe I have the chance, if I refuse to believe in fate it's the difference between hanging my head and holding it high."

"Or maybe you changed your fate," Tenten suggested. "Not just your own, but the entire clan…because it wasn't just Hinata's defeat that did that. Neji, you've been fighting fate your whole life even when you thought you were ruled by it. Is it really necessary to have a belief system?"

Neji bit the automatic 'yes' response that was on the tip of his tongue. Lee's words about him complicating things re-entered his mind and had to grudgingly admit the bowl-haired idiot was half-way right, as half-way was as far as his mind would concede when it came to Rock Lee.

**-O-**

_Oh my god._

When Temari had asked to use the bathroom (holding it for the duration of two movies hadn't been a good choice, but she couldn't just leave in the middle…) she'd never expected it to be so—

_Freaking sweet._

Temari supposed that since Jou's band mates were always over that she needed a big bathroom, but now she knew why the rest of the house was ordinary.

_She spent all of her cash to make this bathroom a palace._

A huge white porcelain bathtub rested on clawed feet made of antique silver. Temari had never seen such a thing, even in the lavish hotel Tsunade-sama had arranged for them. She embarrassingly admitted to herself that when she'd first stayed there she took a long soak every night, practically sighing with pleasure every time she sank into the water. But this was complete and total luxury, cleverly hidden within a rather normal-looking house on an average street.

Temari's eyes fell on a rather large assortment of beauty products that sat on a nearby shelf. Each shelf was labeled with a name. Temari wasn't surprised that Lee had a shelf, and that it was primarily comprised of toothpaste hair products. Jou had a fair amount of items too, but the last six shelves were full of some rather disgustingly girly items. One girl's name was attached to three shelves; Temari had never seen so much hairspray in her life.

_I'm glad we're here on a somewhat normal day,_ Temari thought gratefully, glad that none of these apparently crazy women was staying over. _I bet this house is a circus…_

Outside the bathroom, Kankurou was pacing around restlessly, not tired after the _Kill Bill_ marathon and full of restless energy. He mused it might have been the five bottles of energy tea he'd consumed, but thought better of blaming himself. What kind of woman had an entire twenty-four pack of energy tea in her fridge, anyway?

Kankurou was bored; Lee was entertaining, where was he? He vaguely remembered Lee going off the sleep in the guest bedroom ten minutes ago. Jou had said two of them could sleep downstairs and one person in the living room, and he supposed his little brother was down there already.

_Let Temari deal with him,_ Kankurou thought, plopping down on the sofa. _I'm going to see if anything good's on. She'd better have a decent cable plan…_

Click. _Ew, chick flick._ Click. _I've seen this one twice already_. Click. _Damn it, there's gotta be a channel with skin flicks on_…Click. Seen it. Click. _Damn it, this one sucks._ Click. _Damn, this is another chick flick! _Click. _Seen this one too._ Click. _Ugh, I hate that guy_. Click. _Bingo!_

Kankurou smiled as he entered a few buttons, figuring that if Jou didn't want him to order pay-per-view specials, she would have said something. He assuaged any feelings of guilt by promising that he'd leave her some money before he left.

Gaara sat in Jou's basement, wondering crankily why she had her air conditioning turned on in October, technically November. Eyes closed in annoyance, he registered someone walking towards him. Steps too heavy to be Temari's and way too light to be Kankurou's, he reasoned it was probably Jou. She paused in front of the futon where he sat, kneeling down next to him.

_Why is she staring at me?_ Gaara wondered, not wanting to open his eyes and make eye contact. The tension stretched on until he sensed something moving towards his face.

Reacting before he could think, he leapt off the futon and tackled her. She succumbed to his superior strength with no resistance, as she lighter and weaker than any ninja. His left hand squeezed her right wrist violently until it released what it had been holding, while his right forearm spanned her shoulders to keep her pinned.

"_What are you doing?"_ Gaara's voice was a ragged hiss.

The square of red fleece Jou had been holding was starting to unravel in her shaking hand, which was rapidly turning white under the force of his grasp.

"I'm sorry," Jou whispered, her voice strained under the weight of his forearm. He released some pressure when he saw she couldn't breath, but he still didn't let her go. "You looked cold."

Gaara felt a surge of irritation. "I don't know what you're playing at," he growled. "You act as if you like me."

"Maybe I do," Jou rasped. "I'm obviously not the first person to care about you. Tenten does and Lee does too…"

"You're doing it out of pity, out of what your brother told you about me?" Gaara demanded, distantly aware that if he squeezed her wrist any harder he might cause her serious harm.

"No," Jou said weakly, obviously in pain. "I just…"

"You should be afraid of me," Gaara told her fiercely. "I almost killed your brother; the other half you care about so much. I wanted to. I was _dying_ to. I almost did, and if it weren't for that sensei of his, he wouldn't even be here."

"I know, but he's forgiven you," Jou told him. "For all his heartache and suffering and pain, he's truly forgiven you. And just because you've done horrible things, it doesn't mean you have to alienate yourself forever. My brother wants to help you and every time you reject his efforts it hurts his feelings, I can tell."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Why would that idiot care what I think of him?"

"He's not an idiot!" Jou said ferociously, actively fighting his confinement for the first time. "You're the idiot if you can't see what he's trying to do! All he wants to do is help you; no one's above that. Damn it, you're even worse than that asshole Neji! He's half in love with someone and he doesn't even know it! I fucking hate egotistical ninjas, and the last thing this world needs is someone who acts just like Hyuuga Neji!"

Gaara released her at that, not even intentionally. He just…let her go to let her words sink in. Jou didn't shrink away or flee; she sat right there, rubbing her sore wrist and glaring at him angrily.

"Now here," Jou's voice interrupted his thoughts. She draped the red blanket over his shoulders, fingers delicately rearranging the fabric to fit him better. His eyes fell on the rather blatant purple marks on his arm; he had half a mind to apologize, but thought better. She'd only wave it off.

"It's not green," Gaara observed drolly, figuring if she wanted to act like nothing happened, so would he.

"You struck me as someone who'd refuse to sleep under a green blanket," Jou said with a smile. "Besides, red's my favorite color anyway."

Gaara was perplexed. "Then why all the—"

"Green's my _second_ favorite color, silly," Jou said cheerfully, beaming at him brightly. She stood, leaning down and kissing the top of his head. "Goodnight."

Gaara didn't even watch her climb the stairs. Glancing down at the red folds of the blanket with a mystified expression, Temari found him in the same position a few minutes later.

"What's up?" Temari asked casually, glancing at the blanket. "You mean, something in this house isn't green?"

"I guess not," Gaara replied, voice devoid of the usual sarcasm.

"Man, look at all that crap," Temari observed, gaze traveling over the large assortment of instruments only a short distance from the bed. "It's like an orchestra room down here."

"Kankurou would enjoy it, I think," Gaara said thoughtfully.

"Ugh, the pervert's up there watching Come, Come Paradise the Movie 5,283 or something," Temari grumbled disgustedly. "I bet that girl's going to have a brain hemorrhage when she sees that on her next cable bill, because I doubt her brother ever watches that sort of thing."

"Lee's too proper for that," Gaara confirmed. "Practically the only ninja we know in this whole place that isn't at the very least a closet pervert."

"Ugh, that Naruto and his Sexy no Jutsu," Temari shuddered. "I can't believe he got a legendary ninja to teach him amazing techniques just by using that stupid spell."

"He might have used the harem version," Gaara supplied.

"Ew, you mean he can make more than one?" Temari asked, aghast. "That's awful."

"The only way Lee would ever succumb to a spell like that was if Naruto used Sakura's body instead of his own," Gaara said. "Then Lee would be a goner."

"What if Lee could mold chakra…do you like his Sexy no Jutsu would look like his sister?"

Gaara blinked. "Thank God we'll never know, although if Jou did a Sexy no Jutsu…would she look like Lee?"

Temari shuddered.

**-O-**

"So…if fate told you to kiss me, would you do it?" Tenten asked him seriously, propped up on one elbow. It was almost sunrise; she hadn't expected that Neji would be willing to talk with her all night, even though he was obviously an unpracticed conversationalist and some of his responses weren't very long. She wondered if she was destroying the surprisingly easy-going nature of the night with her bold question.

"I don't know if I could kiss you with that blonde hair," Neji admitted truthfully, smirking slightly.

Tenten smiled, leaning forward and giving him a very brief peck on the lips. At his surprised look, she averted her eyes.

"…I decided since you weren't going to…" she began.

"Didn't you say something about first kisses leading to second kisses?" Neji asked her airily.

"Then I'd guess it would be your turn," Tenten said, smiling warmly as Neji leaned forward. Their lips met slowly, carefully, until they blended together deliciously in a blur of giddiness and sweetness. Tenten stiffened in surprise as Neji's arm pulled her closer before nudging her over so she was flat on her back.

Deliberately avoiding the blonde tresses, his right hand rested low on her ribs while his left stayed stubbornly by her chin. Tilting it down so her mouth would open, his tongue thrust inside as provocatively slid her own against it. Determined not to be the first to break away for air, she boldly kissed him back, relishing his response.

Tenten reluctantly broke contact as she gasped for breath, still rather satisfied with the lengthy duration of the kiss. She brazenly licked her lips, rejoicing when Neji kissed her again. A little more slowly this time, their tongues mingled languidly and when Neji broke the second one, she was about to verbally protest.

"I'd ask where you learned to kiss like that, but then I'd have to kill her and I'm trying to cut back," Tenten told him breathlessly.

"I know of at least one person I have to kill tomorrow morning," Neji smirked.

"Don't go after Shikamaru yet—he has to pay this month's rent," Tenten said helplessly. "It's really hard to do that when you're dead."

"I suppose I could always wait a few weeks…"

_Okay, this fic is only halfway done…so be on the lookout for an update. Keep in mind, Neji doesn't know that Tenten and Kankurou aren't seeing each other anymore, so that needs to be resolved…and you didn't think I'd ever let this end without some more Neji angst, did you?_


	15. Yield

**Yield**

Sonnie

Gaara spent the better part of a half hour trying to push out the image of Jou performing a Sexy no Jutsu and turning out like Lee. After he managed that difficult task, he studied the contents of the room absently. Only the set of lights above the futons was on, obscuring most of the contents; however, a few objects stood out. Huddled in his blanket, Gaara watched as his sister picked up one of the acoustic guitars and giving it an experimental strum.

"I don't think you're ever meant to touch a musical instrument again, Temari," Gaara told her plainly, eliciting a glare.

"That girl's a lot like her brother," Temari muttered, plopping down on the futon next to his after replacing the instrument on its stand. "She's all levels of weird. I saw her bathroom; weird, weird, weird, weird, weird. I'm so glad I don't have a sister…I mean, do normal women actually use all that stuff?"

"I hope that's a rhetorical question," Gaara said flatly.

Temari crossed her arms. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if it's any better to have brothers," she muttered. "Thank God you're not as weird as Lee. I bet he has no clue as to how strange his sister is…she's such a weirdo."

"That she is," Gaara agreed numbly. He paused before he added the other thought he'd been rolling around in his mind. "She means well."

"Yeah, that's true," Temari said with a smile, glancing around the dark room airily before glancing at her brother a little strangely at his comment. "You know, if we happen to be here a month from now we're not going to have an excuse not to be at Lee's party."

"Hn," Gaara grunted, not really having a response.

"That's going to be interesting," Temari mused before she turned on her side and went to sleep.

As Gaara lay awake, he considered the distinct possibility that they might be attending. He knew, on a purely theoretical level, that when one went to a birthday party, one had to buy a birthday gift. Not having any idea what he might possibly get, he let the thought drift in and out of his mind aimlessly.

Out of sheer boredom Gaara eventually made his way upstairs. He passed the couch where his brother was sound asleep with the remote still clutched in his hand. Gaara headed to the kitchen, assuming the noises he heard were coming from the eccentric owner of the house. Without a word, he'd silently slipped onto a seat at the far end of the table.

Gaara studied her; wondering if perhaps his family thought she was weird only because she was actually kind of normal. Sporting a green bathrobe over her pajamas, she carried on at the stove bobbing her head back and forth to some unknown rhythm. He was tempted to laugh at her as she attempted dramatic air guitar, and when she turned around mid-riff her eyes landed right on him.

"…If I go this party you're throwing for Lee, I would be required to buy him a gift, correct?"

Jou decided that lowering her hands at that point was useless, so they remained frozen in midair as she mentally repeated his question. As random as it was, it made perfect sense for all that Lee had told her. Composing herself as best she could, she meekly lowered her hands and answered him.

"Well, in all truthfulness, Lee would just be floored if you three just showed up," Jou admitted truthfully. "Lee's not the type to go crazy over stuff that's really extravagant…sometimes it's the little things."

Gaara stared at her blankly and her shoulders fell slightly in defeat.

"I doubt he'd be expecting anything from you; even Neji doesn't ever buy him anything, and they've been teammates for years," Jou told him, a dark look settling on her features. "Then again, Neji is a huge jerk, and if you didn't get him anything that wouldn't make you one, so I wouldn't worry about it if it's too much trouble. Do you like chocolate chips?"

"Huh?"

"I was thinking about putting them in the pancakes," Jou said thoughtfully. "Lee likes strawberries, but not everyone likes strawberries. I mean, I like strawberries, but I bet they don't grow in the desert…" Jou trailed off weakly, realizing belatedly that she was rambling.

"…Do you have any blueberries?" Gaara asked finally after a long stretch of silence.

"Um, somewhere," Jou said vaguely, opening the refrigerator and scowling. "If I can find them, that is. Mika-chan eats them by the handful, I swear, and I always make sure I have some in here…I think they're in the back…"

Gaara watched as her rummaging caused a half-empty carton of milk to fall from the shelf. Almost without thinking, he sent a tendril of sand to stop its descent, and the carton slowly made its way up and deposited itself onto the counter.

Jou blinked. "So that's what you used on my brother, right?" she asked after a moment, her eyes never leaving the gently hissing sand.

Gaara nodded wordlessly. "…Something to that effect."

Jou looked thoughtful but turned to add blueberries to the mix. Gaara didn't like to think about what he had done; someone he had maliciously, spitefully wronged had turned around and offered him friendship and forgiveness. Lee had called it a "hassle," yet he knew the word did not do the suffering justice.

Gaara glanced up at the happy cook, who was just as upbeat and just as active as Lee. The long, black braid was swinging back and forth in time to the new rhythm she was humming. He noticed that when the sleeve of her green robe fell back, a band of purple marks adorned her wrist.

"Sorry," Gaara mumbled, looking pointedly away.

"Hm?" Jou turned around, bewildered. "For what?"

Gaara gestured with a jerk of his finger to where the marks were being covered by the green sleeve again, determined not to look.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Jou said graciously, confirming his earlier belief that she'd brush it off.

_I swear, Lee's family must have some sort of weird chromosome that prevents them from holding grudges_, Gaara thought. _Then again, she still hates Neji…_

"Why do you hate Neji?" Gaara asked her suddenly. "It can't still be over what he did all those years ago."

Jou continued to pour the pancake batter as she attempted to formulate an answer. "Well, probably because he's such a _jerk_," she said finally, smiling at the simplicity of it. "I just don't like him. There are some people out there that just get to you, you know? Our personalities are completely different, and not in a complimentary way. He really loves to antagonize me; he _always_ starts it. Plus I'm afraid he's going to break Tenten's heart, and if he does I will hunt him down and make him pay!"

This last proclamation was punctuated by a rather impressive pose incorporating her pancake flipper. Gaara tucked away his smirk, not wishing to provoke her further.

_Still, it is kind of fun,_ he conceded mentally. _Just like it's fun to provoke Lee._

"If he breaks Tenten's heart, I'm going to bitch slap him until he cries for mercy!" Jou crowed, causing Gaara's eyes to widen slightly. He couldn't imagine the Hyuuga letting the girl within a hundred feet of him if he knew she was feeling aggressive. Then again, Neji didn't like to have her around regardless.

"What is that amazing smell?" a voice mumbled from the doorway. Gaara saw Jou lower her arm in a hurry, flicking the wrist so the sleeve fell over the bruises. She flashed a wide smile of greeting to her other male guest, whose eyes fell on the small crate of blueberries and his eyes widened.

"No way," Kankurou said in disbelief. "Holy crap, this is amazing. Are you actually making _blueberry pancakes?"_

"Are you sure you're a ninja?" Gaara asked him critically. He could have thrown his gourd through the hole in his brother's defense.

"Yes, and ninjas need to eat lots of food to keep up their stamina," Kankurou said delicately, crossing his arms.

"My brother just exercises to do that," Jou told him simply.

Gaara smiled evilly at his brother, especially since she had no idea that she'd just inadvertently put down the puppeteer. Ignoring her unintentional slight, Kankurou decided to press his luck. "Do you also have strawberries?"

"Kankurou…" Gaara sighed tiredly. _Sometimes_, and sometimes being often, his brother had absolutely no manners.

"Sure!" Jou chirruped. "Strawberries are Lee's favorite too. I made him some this morning, but I suppose you already know that."

"Aw, you and Lee like the same kind of pancakes," Temari chuckled from the doorway.

"Is there anything you'd like, Temari-san?" Jou asked her politely. "I can make whole wheat pancakes or buttermilk pancakes…and I have chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries…"

"Eh, surprise me," the blonde woman shrugged. "Whatever you give me, it'll probably be good. At least it'll be better than anything else these two could make me."

"I'll make you some from our secret family recipe!" Jou said with a grin, giving a startled Temari a wink and a thumbs up over her shoulder.

Glaring at her two amused brothers, Temari plopped down between them. Jou made a big show of hiding the contents of the bowl for Temari's pancakes, but after the batter was mixed she turned around.

"Can I get you guys something to drink?" she asked brightly. "I have milk, orange juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, and pineapple juice."

"That's a lot of juice," Temari commented. "And you sound like a waitress."

"I am," Jou said simply, merely tilting her head to one side as she waited for an answer to her question.

"Milk."

"Orange juice."

"Saké?"

Three sets of eyes fell on Kankurou; green, gray, and black.

"Guys, it was a joke. Any kind of juice is fine."

Forty three seconds later.

"Why did Gaara get the red cup?" Kankurou whined. "I got a clear one."

Temari slapped the back of his head.

"He doesn't like green," Jou said simply. She paused, then pointed the pancake flipper at him imperiously. "You're his brother, you should know that!"

Kankurou flapped his mouth silently at her back when she turned around in a mocking gesture, barely dodging the purple cup that was thrown in his direction.

"I thought Shikamaru said you weren't violent!" Kankurou muttered indignantly, nevertheless pouring his apple juice into the purple cup.

"Well, you're acting like a child, so I gave you Lee's favorite cup when we were kids," Jou cackled when he paused mid-pour.

Temari chuckled at Kankurou's red face. "Hey, it matches your face paint, loser."

"Here are your pancakes," Jou told Gaara, handing him a white plate full of large, blueberry buttermilk pancakes.

"Where are mine?" Kankurou demanded, glaring at his sister when she slapped his arm.

"They're on their way," Jou told him patiently. "You were second, after all, and this griddle isn't very big."

Kankurou sighed loudly, drawing an exasperated look from his sister.

"What is your problem?" she snapped.

"I didn't get a restful sleep," he told her snippily.

"That's funny, I bet you're exhausted after that movie last night," Jou said. "And I'm not talking about Kill Bill, either."

Gaara felt his lips curve in a smile around a mouthful of delicious blueberries. "Pervert."

"Busted, Kankurou," Temari grinned.

Kankurou's retort was cut off by a plate of pancakes hitting the table in front of him.

"His are bigger than mine!" Kankurou wailed, finger pointing at Gaara's plate.

"They're called silver dollar pancakes, genius," Temari snapped at him. "Wait, you asked for two different types of pancakes?"

Gaara rolled his eyes. _Siblings._ For once Lee and Jou appeared normal compared to the way his family was acting.

Jou was busy with Temari's pancakes, completely oblivious to the bickering going on behind her. Gaara wondered if her hearing was as spotty as Tenten had claimed. When Jou was finally done, Temari stared at them vacantly.

"Umm…what's in them?" she asked timidly, not wishing to offend. Her oaf of a brother had already done that enough.

"Just try them," Jou waving a hand dismissively. "You'll like it, I promise!"

Temari cut a piece from the top pancake very precisely, eyeing it carefully before lifting it to her mouth. She paused for two seconds before immediately cutting another piece.

"These are amazing," Temari told her truthfully. "What did you put in these?"

"Peanut butter baking chips," Jou replied smugly. "Along with chocolate chips…my favorite, but a bit on the sweet side."

"Wait…you can put peanut butter in pancakes?" Kankurou said, pausing mid-bite. He tried to surreptitiously steal one from Temari's plate, only to find all four prongs of her fork jammed into the back of his hand.

"OW! Damn it woman, I just want a little."

Jou sighed, forking over one of her pancakes onto his nearly empty plate. "Here, I can't eat more than two at once anyway."

Kankurou flashed a grin. "Thanks, much."

"Do all Sand ninjas eat like you?" Jou asked woefully.

"Only fat ass over here," Temari smirked.

"That's a pretty hefty amount of pancakes I see, Temari," Kankurou countered, over-enunciating every syllable of his sister's name like a small child.

"That's because I started eating after you, moron," she growled.

Gaara took a sip of milk. He glanced at Jou's over the rim of the glass, finding it odd that she was amused and not irritated. These were seasoned ninjas that could kill her before she could even blink an eye, and two thirds of them were arguing like small children and making her laugh in the process. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, not wanting to crack up in front of her guests.

"Yo, what happened to your arm?" Kankurou asked, pointing to the livid purple marks.

"Huh?" Jou asked, her arm pressed down at her side in an instant. "Oh, I just fell a few days ago. It's nothing."

"It wasn't there last night," Kankurou contradicted. "I remember, because I was looking at the scar further up your arm and I wouldn't have seen it if _that_ was there."

"Actually," Jou looked down at it, "I don't really remember. I'm definitely not a sound sleeper, so I probably banged it last night. I've even fallen out of bed before, so it's probably nothing."

_She's a fairly good liar_, Gaara observed, her face completely devoid of any guile when she told them she didn't remember how it happened. He wondered how often she lied to Lee, just so he wouldn't worry. Lee, while completely oblivious to others' feelings of irritation, annoyance, and anger, was remarkably sharp at picking up on some of the higher end emotions, and Gaara had to admit that he was very good at telling if someone was lying.

"You've fallen out of bed?" Temari asked, giving her an odd look.

"Oh yeah," Jou said dismissively.

"Weirdo," Kankurou muttered.

"This coming from the man who woke up before my brother left (at four in the morning, mind you) so he could eat HALF OF LEE'S PANCAKES! You could have just asked…instead I look over and the pile is less than half of what it was, and Lee sure as hell wasn't anywhere near the kitchen!"

Kankurou's eyes widened at the flare in her temper. Temari gave her brother a disgusted look. Gaara eyed his brother questioningly.

"Uh…sorry?" Kankurou offered weakly.

"You know what you could do?" Jou said momentarily, a strange smile forming. She settled back in her chair.

"Uh…what?" Now Kankurou looked alarmed. It was that scary Leaf-girl tone…

"You could give me your word that you'll all come to Lee-chan's party!" Jou cried exuberantly, beaming.

"Uh….sure?" Kankurou agreed with a shrug, half-expecting a violent outburst from her; nearly all Leaf girls were crazy, he'd determined, except for Tenten, who was in love with an icicle, so maybe _she_ really was _too_.

"Oh, that's great!" Jou sighed happily, shoulders scrunching with glee. "He really likes you all and he's going to be so happy to see you there!"

_Lee pretty much likes everyone_, Gaara mused. _It's automatic, from what I've gathered._

"This is going to be the best party ever!" Jou was her coddling-sister mode and was smiling sweetly at whatever thought of Lee was currently running through her mind. Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou were a bit freaked out.

"I haven't been around for Lee's birthday for almost five years," Jou said sorrowfully. "He doesn't even know I'm going to be home. Oh, he's going to be so surprised!"

Jou jumped up from the table, clasping her hands together.

"Thanks so much for saying you'll come to the party!" she exclaimed, voice sing-song and sweet. "I guess I should let you guys go; you probably have official business and all to tend to. I don't want to keep you."

All three siblings blinked, eventually agreeing half-heartedly, not quite sure how they felt. Their word had been given, at least Kankurou's, and now they were all obligated to attend whether they wanted to or not. None of them particularly minded, but it meant that they wouldn't be able to take any missions that might possibly interfere, or they'd have a potentially crazy woman chasing after them.

"Thanks for breakfast." Short, almost curt, and right to the point.

Kankurou and Temari turned in surprise that Gaara was the first one to thank her. Jou simply smiled as she rinsed of dishes, not thinking anything of it. The two other siblings thanked her as well, each receiving the equivalent of "it was nothing."

Temari headed downstairs to retrieve her borrowed costume, while Kankurou was quite keen to exit the house at his earliest opportunity. Gaara bent to pick up his gourd, stopped by Jou.

"If there's something you want to do for my brother, there is one thing…" she began seriously.

Gaara nodded numbly when she was done, her request not really sinking in until he'd left her house with his siblings.

_Oh, shit…how in the **hell** am I going to do this?_

**-O-**

Neji had been feeling remarkably peaceful more than a week after he'd last seen Tenten. No amount of denial could push away the real reason, and he found himself looking forward to seeing her again. Even his cousin had noted his mood was considerably lighter. He had the sneaking suspicion that she knew _exactly_ why.

Stopping by a local bookseller, he thought he could pick up something for Lee's birthday, as he had done in the past; Neji just pulled Lee aside and gave him the gift after swearing him to secrecy, always under the unspoken threat of bodily harm. His gifts were always something practical and nondescript so as not to draw attention, but Neji wasn't ever one for giving extravagant gifts, especially to members of the same gender.

Neji heard the door of the shop open open.

"Are you sure we're going to find something in here?" a familiar voice whined.

"Assuming you can read, yeah, we should," another voice, female, jibed.

"I liked the other bookstore better," the first voice said petulantly.

"That was all your idea, pervert," the girl told him firmly. "And you had your fun. I didn't know that Come Come Paradise came in collector's box sets."

"Well now you know. The first fifty sets even come with a special hardcover index."

"You're a loser."

Neji took a slow, even breath. It was Tenten…and Kankurou. They were perusing the books two aisles down, and while they weren't talking loud they weren't whispering, either.

"Ugh, why'd I agree to go to this damned party?"

"Because deep, deep down you actually like Lee and his sister's kind of cute and you feel bad, maybe just a little, for ordering some pay-per-view movies of questionably tastes."

"Seriously, she's nuts. Not like Orochimaru-weird, but definitely Gai-weird, at the very least. You know, I always thought Orochimaru was a bit of a closet pedophile. Your village has the weirdest people in it, I swear."

"If Orochimaru was a pedophile, he didn't bother with a closet," Tenten asked tartly. "But didn't he pose as your dad for awhile before you attacked our village? You didn't even know your own father had been replaced?"

"Dad was a dick," Kankurou grunted. "I didn't see him much anyway, so it's not like I have a reliable frame of reference. Besides, he was a little off _before_ he was replaced."

"Would you have been able to tell if he'd replaced one of your siblings?"

"Temari, yes; the woman is so damned nuanced that I'd be able to tell right away. Gaara…well, not back then, at least. I'd probably be able to tell if it happened now."

"You know, Jou would know if it wasn't Lee right away."

"It's difficult to fake that kind of energy and bizarreness."

Tenten laughed. "That's true, but they know each other really well. Lee says he can always tell how she's feeling, even when he's on a mission or she's in another country."

"Twins are weird, so I hear. I guess her and Lee are just doubly weird."

"Says the guy who proposed looking for Lee's present in an _adult book store_. When you think of Lee, several choice adjectives may come to mind, none of which involve depravity."

"Well, you never had a problem with it before."

"Well, now we're not in the same position we were in a month ago, meaning you and I can talk freely about every single sexual perversion of yours."

"We probably shouldn't be having this conversation in a reputable bookstore, you know."

"Way to change the subject, there."

"I'm serious. I'm already getting weird looks from management."

"One, you're from Sand. Two, you're really freaking tall. Three, you're wearing that goddamned paint and a black body suit with cat ears!"

"Shove it, woman."

"I hate to break it to you, but without your puppets I could pummel you, no problem. I've seen your taijutsu. It falls into the category of worthless. Shikamaru's mother is more threatening."

"Well, just because you and your teammates were taught by a crazy thick-browed sensei that's obsessed with taijutsu doesn't mean you have to go and make fun of me."

"Gai-sensei could kick your ass in under five seconds," Tenten told him flatly.

"Don't remind me," Kankurou grumbled. "Now I know you're all so physically fit. I'm never going to go running with you again."

"You were tired before the warm-up ended."

"Two miles is not a warm-up! I mean, I can run home from Konoha if I need to, but who runs around for fun, honestly? You and Lee actually _like_ to run; you're crazy, especially that 'let's get up and run at six o'clock in the morning' routine you like to pull."

"You can't make fun of Lee any more, period, since he can literally run circles around you."

"I guess that's why I'm going to his party, then," Kankurou shrugged. "That, and I don't want that crazy woman to throw more stuff at me."

"She threw something at you?" Tenten asked, surprised.

"A cup…it was purple."

"Aw, Lee's purple cup?"

"…I hate you."

"Which is why we're shopping together, yes; that makes perfect sense."

"I don't want that girl getting pissed of at me, I told you. If I don't get something he likes she'll probably flip out on me."

"You know, you and Neji are just about the only people that set her off…maybe it's because you're so similar."

"No way."

"I'm kidding, you two are totally different. I mean…you'd pick Come Come Paradise 3 over Come Come Paradise 2 any day, and he's definitely all about the first film…"

Neji frowned. He knew she was joking, but…

"Well wouldn't you? I mean, the plot of the third film is far more developed, but who can argue against the chemistry of the actors in the second movie? And the direction; seriously, I could not have been more upset when I heard the first actor walked off the set of the second film…"

Tenten blinked. "Oh my freaking god! I ought to ram your head into a wall or something! No one actually watches those movies for a plot, do they? Do they even have a plot?"

"Um…yeah?"

"We need a break, at least until you stop thinking about porn."

"But I need to get a gift soon!"

"It's impossible to look at books with you…maybe we can find him a movie at—"

"—Let's go to—"

"—A reputable movie retailer," Tenten finished firmly. "It's bad enough the dirty looks I got in the other bookstore. You don't live here, so you don't have to worry about people you know seeing you walk out, and no, winking at that old lady who walked by was just plain wrong, especially with the latest episode of Come Come Paradise in your hand."

"I thought it was funny."

"Of course you would."

Neji's Byakugan followed them out of the store, where they proceeded to walk down the street into a tea shop. He wondered if he'd just witnessed one of the weirdest conversations ever to take place.

"_Gai-sensei!"_

"_Lee!"_

"_Gai-sensei!"_

"_Lee!"_

_Okay, so there are stranger things I've witnessed_, Neji admitted. _And even though Tenten and I shared a kiss (or two, or three…) it doesn't mean that she can't be seeing Kankurou. She's never referred to him as a steady boyfriend, has she? For all I know, she could be seeing other guys too…_

Neji's very limited knowledge on the inner workings of relationships basically came from snippets of conversations he'd unintentionally overheard over the years. Ino's serial dating of half of Konoha's men to gain Shikamaru's attention…Hinata's obvious crush on a totally oblivious Naruto…Sakura's really obvious crush on a totally aware but completely mental Sasuke.

_It's so wonderful that I have so many people available to use as a reference_, Neji thought dryly.

Exiting the bookstore and letting the door slam shut, he stormed off through the streets of Konoha.

**-O-**

_God, it's a wonder that Lee doesn't know about that party of his with that big mouth his sister's got,_ Temari grumbled inwardly. _Even Kankurou got Lee something, and he won't tell me what it is, so it could be really embarrassing and I don't want my name attached to it…so I guess it means I have to go out and find my own gift. _

_I don't know Lee all that well…he's got thick eyebrows, shinier hair than me, bright teeth…yellow legwarmers…a green jumpsuit…ugh, this isn't helping. All of those things are superficial (no matter how **invasive**), and I sure as hell am not buying him an eyebrow waxing kit, toothpaste, or hair gel. The idiot does have a personality, as weird as it is._

Temari admired some of Lee's characteristics while being absolutely appalled at others. Upon reflection, most of the negative stuff tied up in his resemblance, physical and otherwise, to Maito Gai. Then again, it made up such a huge part of his personality that it was hard to overlook.

Temari was shopping in the finest establishment in Suna, an easy task as the village only had a handful of places where citizens could purchase consumer goods. As much as Lee freaked her out, he treated her better than most anyone else from Konoha. She wanted to make sure her gift was of good quality and was considering buying him a pair of black training pants. Practical and reasonably priced, she wondered if he'd be offended if they weren't his normal color.

_His sister looks nice in green, but then again, her eyebrows aren't thick and hairy,_ _nor does she have a bowl cut,_ Temari reasoned. _And its not that green looks bad on him, it's just…**everywhere**…at least I can thank my lucky stars he's not built like one of my brothers…god, if he were skinny or flabby I think I'd have to puke._

"Lee, I'm glad you slowed down enough for me to follow you here, but I'm really, really tired, and therefore, really, really cranky. And yes, I know what you're thinking, 'she's always crank,' and you'd be absolutely correct, but I'm starting to get flat-out pissed off and when you shop for things like this you're worse than a woman. Believe me, I would know."

An unusually beleaguered-looking Rock Lee had just entered the shop behind a tall girl a little older than Temari. Temari was surprised; what was Lee doing in Suna, especially with such a beautiful (but ill-tempered) woman?

It dawned on Temari that she'd never really seen Lee with a woman before that was not a Konoha kunoichi. She looked terribly high maintenance. Definitely not someone she'd expect to find with Lee, her hair color fell somewhere in between honey and sand, the curls were captured in a high ponytail that strongly reminded Temari of Ino.

"But I know what I want to get, I promise!" Lee told her, looking a bit on the wary side. Though he'd obviously been around her before, his body language spoke that he was a tad uncomfortable and guarded around her in some respects, though he wasn't at all bothered by her closer proximity or the volume of her voice.

"Yes, yes, you're going to get her something red like you always do, I know," the woman said dismissively, waving a manicured hand around airily. The short, purple nails skipped through the air jerkily as if conveying the owner's impatience. "You realize that if you do buy her a red kimono, you have to take into consideration all those other things, such as season, length, fabric, design, cost…I could go on."

"It's almost wintertime, so it's going to be long, heavy, and warm," Lee explained decisively. "I've been saving up for months, and now all I have to do is decide on what designs based on what's available."

"Which is exactly why you're shopping in Suna, the luxury capitol of the world," the woman muttered, arms outstretched for dramatic emphasis. A forehead protector attached to a scrap of tattered purple cloth strung through low-set belt loops was worn at the small of her back. The metal plate depicted a group of clouds; a deep line was etched through the middle.

Temari's first thought was Akatsuki, then she remembered who this woman was with; Rock Lee. Naïve, not stupid…and shopping with an Akatsuki member clearly fell into the latter category. Temari had never seen a ninja from Lightning Country before, and only knew that they had fought a war with Leaf about a decade and a half before. The only people she'd ever seen with forehead protectors like that were missing-nins.

"Izari-san, that wasn't very polite," Lee chided her.

"Hey, I'm not swearing in front of you, and that's hard enough," the woman grumbled. "Not to mention I can't smoke in front of your sister. This is just about as nice as I get, you know. Just be glad I don't have a problem with you…you're actually one of my favorite people, so feel proud, because the list is a short one."

Temari saw a dark look pass over Lee's face. "I _am_ glad you don't have a problem with me," Lee told her. "It's nice you like me, because I've seen how you treat the people you have problems with."

Unexpectedly, the woman laughed and mussed his hair adoringly. "Oh, Lee-chan, you're just too cute," she said. "No wonder your sister loves you so much. Not many brothers would ever take the time to be so thoughtful. Why do you think she wants something from Suna, of all places? I don't even think she's been here."

"Well, she does like to travel," Lee replied, shaking his head once so his hair fell back into place. "And ever since you guys broke your contract with your old manager, she's actually been free to spend some time with me. I think she wants to go on a trip to Snow Country after her birthday like we did when we were really little. Naruto told me things have really gotten better around there, so I think we might actually go."

"…Which is exactly why you're in the desert buying her a kimono. Okay. Makes sense to me." Izari's arms were crossed.

"The desert gets very cold at night, and it does experience seasons, too, Izari-san," Lee said patiently.

"Yes, but where I'm from it rains all year long," Izari-san countered sweetly. "Fifteen years of rain practically every day tends to make one a little skeptical about desert climates."

"I guess I can see that," Lee conceded. He glanced to his right and something caught his eye. Body freezing, he pointed and bellowed.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Lee, that's my ear you're yelling into. I'm standing right next to you and I can see perfectly fine. Yes, it's exactly what you want." She gazed appreciatively at a deep crimson kimono, a graceful embroidered tiger stretching across the bottom.

"It's perfect!" Lee had completely bypassed his original ideal in its entirety, walking right past the red garment to the spot directly beside its complete and polar opposite. A lovely hunter green, it too was draped gracefully over the mannequin's shoulders.

"Lee, it's green. You said red. It's summery. You said winter. It's short. You said long. It's silk. You said thick. There's absolutely no design to speak of and if you buy it you'll have enough money left over to buy her something _else_, which is exactly what you told me on the way here you wanted to avoid!"

Izari's voice had been steadily rising in pitch, volume, and speed, the last word a near yelp.

"But it's perfect," Lee said again, picking up the corner of a sleeve lovingly. "It's also lined."

"And there _is_ a design, how cute, green dragons," Izari said uninterestedly as she investigated the bottom of the garment closer. "Speaking as one of her band members, the little motif has gotten a tad stale. This kimono is so perfect it's all wrong, Lee. How about we go back to your little plan? I'm starting to warm up to the idea. After all, red _is_ her favorite color."

"That's true!" Lee looked genuinely conflicted. "What am I going to do?"

"You know, you could buy this one for her and I could get what you were planning to originally," Izari suggested. "That way she can have both…and I don't have to shop for her later."

"But you already said you would—I mean, we all—" Lee was sputtering. "What are we going to do now!"

"Lee, I'm kidding." Izari had her hands on Lee's shoulders, her face only inches away from his. "_That's_ already all paid for. She's going to be oh-so surprised, too. Don't worry, she hasn't got a clue. She doesn't even know you'll be home for _her_ birthday, just yours."

_What is going on?_ Temari thought wildly. _Is Lee planning a surprise for his sister?_

"We can celebrate the burning glory of our youth together!" Lee proclaimed, drawing several stares. Many citizens of Wind Country had seen him already; many citizens of Wind Country were still not quite used to his brand of uniqueness.

"Yes, together, despite the fact you two are twins you have to take into consideration that _other_ thing," Izari-san pointed out. "She being born at 11:57 P.M. the night before means that you can calm down a little; remember, you can't cram it all into one day since you were born over two. It's actually kind of unique…and you don't want to go take all the uniqueness out of being born on consecutive days, do you?"

"I would never dream of it!" Lee declared earnestly, looking hurt.

"So don't worry about surprising her, alright?" Izari soothed. "You can do that _early_ on her birthday…it doesn't have to be so late. Remember, _two_ days of celebration. I've got it all under control."

_Except for the part where **she's** trying to surprise **you**, and how in the hell are we going to manage that if you two are already **together**? _Izari hoped she didn't look half as stressed out as she looked. _Damn it, you're both too nice to each other…I mean, honestly, how many twins plan surprise birthday parties for **each other?**_

Temari was a bit alarmed at the other woman's expression, as she was clearly more than a little annoyed with her rather difficult predicament. She knew Jou aimed to surprise Lee, but Lee was going to surprise Jou? If Izari was trying to make sure both worked out, no wonder she looked so aggravated.

"Now look, I'm going to buy that red kimono over there," Izari stated matter-of-factly. "You are going to buy the green one because I refuse to buy her one more stitch of green clothing. And, since I know your conscience will be burning with indignity, buy her something else, too. But no animals! I stay in that house way too much, and I'm allergic to animal hair."

"Maybe you just don't like pets, Izari-san," Lee told her. "They are very sensitive and perceptive creatures."

"Are you saying I'm insensitive?" Izari asked sharply. "Are you saying they wouldn't like me because they know what kind of person I am?"

"No, of course not!" Lee looked absolutely and sincerely hurt by her accusation. "I would never dream of besmirching the name of the untainted flower of your youth."

"Lee, trust me, someone got to that flower a long time ago," Izari told him flatly.

Lee gaped in horror at her insinuation.

"Lee, it was a joke." She put an arm around his neck and patted the opposite shoulder. She kissed his temple lightly, delighting in his embarrassed flush. "You need a sense of humor."

"I do have a sense of humor," Lee protested, color still high on his cheeks. "…I just don't understand yours."

"That's true," Izari mused, looking thoughtful. "Now are you going to buy that kimono for your sister or are we going to stand here all day?"

"You're right! I mustn't dawdle! I allowed myself to become overwhelmed with the emotions of my youth!"

"Or you could just be gay."

"Izari-san, that's your reasoning for everything! For crying out loud, you think Neji is gay too."

"Until I see proof, I'm sticking to my theory."

Temari fought the urge to laugh.

"He likes Tenten."

"Uh huh, right. It's a little hard for him to be heterosexual when the person he cares the most about in his life is himself. It's a wonder he doesn't just stare into a mirror all day and just talk to himself; they're probably the only real conversations he really has or enjoys, anyway. Besides, no one has such naturally beautiful hair like that unless they commit some serious _time_, unless they're like you, who apparently has been blessed by some shiny-hair, blinding-smile, and too-much-optimism god. Now just buy the freaking kimono so I can get some lunch already, I'm _starving_."

"Temari-san, would you like to join us for lunch?"

Temari wondered when he'd notice her; she hadn't been hiding, but he and Izari had been in a rather intense conversation. She walked over, noticing the strangely critical yet appreciative look Izari was giving her. It was like being inspected without being judged.

"A Sand ninja, hm?" Izari asked, her gaze hovering on Temari's hair, or more accurately, her forehead protector.

"Temari is amazing with her fan," Lee told Izari proudly on his way to the register. "We've been on many missions together."

Izari nodded, her expression a mere winsome smile. She sent Lee towards the register with an "off you go" and a not-so-gentle shove which he didn't really seem to mind. As soon as he was out of earshot, she studied the Sand nin.

"What did you think of Hidden Leaf the first time you arrived?" Izari asked suddenly. "What did you think of the ninjas there?"

Temari started. She hadn't been expecting a question like that at all. "Well, I wasn't terribly impressed, to be quite honest."

"You seem to be very focused on survival here," Izari told her. "Wind Country is a lot different from Leaf. Have you changed your mind about them?"

"Yes, I have," Temari told her truthfully. "They're just very diverse. I didn't realize I'd find such an assortment of personalities there."

"Like that one?" Izari asked, pointing to where Lee was struggling to fish money out of the pockets of his jounin vest, somehow managing to cause a small scene as a wide array of scrolls, medicine, and shuriken landed on the counter and the floor beside him.

"Er, yeah," Temari admitted, watching Lee pick up his items as if there wasn't anything odd about carrying so much heavy stuff.

_At least they can't see the hideously heavy weights, only the hideously ugly legwarmers,_ Temari thought.

"Lee's not a particularly normal guy," Izari stated, watching him give a reassuring thumbs up to the perplexed cashier.

"I wasn't terribly impressed at first sight. I changed my mind when I saw him fight my brother, though. No one had ever landed a hit on him until then."

Izari nodded. "Lee's an odd one. Good, but odd."

"Izari-san, are you really going to buy the other kimono for Jou-chan?" Lee asked her.

"Yeah, I might as well," Izari shrugged. "I like red better than green, at any rate. And let's face it, I'm going to be the one looking at it."

"Izari-san," Lee sighed. He turned to Temari. "I was serious when I mentioned lunch. Would you like to spend this beautiful afternoon in the company of Konoha's very own beautiful green beast?"

Temari blinked. "Actually, I already ate," she told him truthfully. Upon seeing how upset he looked, she quickly added, "but maybe some other time."

"Oh, that would be great, Temari-san!" Lee saluted her.

"Lee, I'm just going to be a minute, so you can wait outside if you want," Izari suggested. "I know you don't like to be indoors for too long."

Lee, who probably would have protested had the request come from any other person, was outside before Temari could even blink.

"That was really easy," Izari commented dryly as she picked up the red kimono. "So…training pants for Lee, huh?"

"Um, yeah," Temari shrugged, inspecting the black garment in her hands. "The jumpsuit is just too much."

"I know what you mean," Izari whispered conspiratorially. "Ever since I accidentally saw Lee in the shower, the bulge is _killing me_. Now I know why girls run away; he'd break them in half with that thing!"

Temari was horrified. Why was this woman saying all this unless she just wanted to make her squirm? Temari frowned when she realized that was _exactly_ what she was trying to do.

"Lee must be suffocating things down here, and _really_, what better time than a birthday to look after friends, right?" Izari reasoned conversationally. "Beautiful green beast _indeed_. It wasn't even at full attention and I swear, it must have been this long—"

Izari's hands moved to demonstrate, but Temari turned away sharply. Temari didn't think she'd be able to look Lee straight in the face for probably the next three months…or since she'd accidentally glimpsed Izari's hands, quite possibly until several years into the afterlife.

"Anyway, Lee's waist is a 33, not a 35," Izari corrected. "Just make sure they're not too, ah…_tight_."

Temari's mouth was gaping as the woman very calmly purchased the red kimono. One gray-violet-hued iris disappeared as Izari winked at her, knowing full well how much she'd embarrassed the other woman. With a little wave, Izari walked outside, presumably to join Lee.

Temari pulled herself together on the way over to the rack of men's pants. Selecting the correct size, to her dismay she found herself paying extra attention to the space at the inseam. Growling in aggravation, she practically hurled the item over the counter at the terrified sales clerk.

_I can't believe this,_ Temari muttered inwardly. _I'm going on a mission with him in less than a week. We're going to be all alone in the wilderness for three whole days and I know all I'm going to be thinking about is **that**. _

Temari kicked the doors open after roughly shoving the pants into a bag. Stepping out into the sunshine, she was forcefully reminded of the burning fire of Lee's youth.

"Goddamn it," Temari muttered, storming down the street.

**-O-**

Gaara observed Hyuuga Neji walk by him, face as stoic as always but anger rolling off of him in waves. Gaara briefly considered what it would be like to taunt him, but thought that spending the day with Sakura getting all of his chakra points re-opened wasn't the best use of his time, regardless of the fact he never slept.

_Perhaps he saw Tenten and Kankurou the other day,_ Gaara thought. _They _did_ say they were going shopping. I guess now that my brother's not seeing her she can get a true picture of just how much a of a pervert he is. I bet Hyuuga thinks they're still together. They're still close, at any rate._

_Everyone in this whole village is always searching for love, it seems_, Gaara thought. _Even Temari and Kankurou…okay, Kankurou is now just searching for a good time, but Temari…she still wants to be with Shikamaru, even though he's picked Ino._

_I kind of feel sorry for Temari, I guess,_ Gaara mused. _Lee always took being rejected by Sakura hard, even though he never showed it, but Temari isn't the same as Lee (thank God) and she can't act as if she can just try again, because she can't. Just winning Sakura's friendship made Lee happy, and now the fact that she and Shikamaru are friends is just going to make her angrier._

Gaara knew he would always think Leaf shinobi were odd. None of them particularly liked to kill; some were actually quite adverse to it. Many of them came from nice, normal families and didn't become ninja because they needed to survive, but became ninja because they wanted to protect the village.

"Hey there."

Gaara looked up to find Temari walking down the street towards him.

Gaara acknowledged her with an inclination of his head.

"So…this party's real soon," Temari commented. "Did you get anything for Lee yet? Wait, better question: are you going to get anything for Lee?"

Gaara paused. "Jou said that what she really wants me to do is to actually get him to the party without suspecting anything."

Temari laughed unexpectedly, much to his annoyance.

"Why is that funny?"

"Because Lee is planning a surprise for her earlier that night," Temari told him. "I saw him last week in Suna. He and his sister's band members are planning something for her a few hours before Jou's throwing the midnight party for Lee."

"Why not the next day?" Gaara asked, puzzled.

"Jou was born a few minutes before him, but it was technically on a different day," Temari said. "And her being the impatient person she is, wants to have a party the second he turns twenty…so she's having it at midnight, only minutes after she does."

"It figures they complicate things like this," Gaara muttered.

"Well, they're twins, I guess it's different," Temari said. "I mean, they probably spent all their time together growing up. Up until Lee became a genin, I bet they still saw each other every day."

"No wonder she's so weird," Gaara reasoned.

"Ugh, that other woman I met with Lee was weirder," Temari sighed. "They were shopping—yeah, I know, Lee shopping equals weird—but she said something to really freak me out and I think she enjoyed it."

"I don't want to know what that was, do I?" Gaara asked needlessly.

"No, you really don't," Temari affirmed. "Anyway, the only way I see both of their surprises working out is if we can get Lee to leave her house before eleven or so in order for them to get to that teahouse and lay in wait. It's going to take a crowbar to pry them apart, I can see it now."

"Hn," Gaara knew she was right.

"And its not like we can tell Jou what's going on…so do we just show up at her house and say we need Lee for something?" Temari asked. "God, this is so complicated. Can't you just tell her you can't do it and just suck it up and buy something if you feel bad?"

"I'm smarter than Lee, I can figure something out," Gaara told her coolly. "We could show up at eleven and say we need Lee for something. He wouldn't be expecting anything from me."

"That means you have to kill an hour of time with him," Temari noted. "Are you up to that?"

"Well…instead of sacrificing money for a gift, I'll be donating a portion of my sanity," Gaara said dryly.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Temari told him seriously.

"What's not a good idea?"

Temari had to physically stop herself from jumping. It was Lee. Many times as fast as she was (with the weights _on_), he could simply…appear, often with no warning whatsoever, not realizing he always scared the living daylights out of most everyone involved.

"It's none of your business," Gaara told him simply, voice free of malice.

"Oh, okay." Lee shrugged. "I'm sorry."

Lee was about to go jogging off when Gaara stopped him.

"My sister says you're planning a surprise for your sister," he said. "What is it?"

"Well, Izari-san and I have been talking for a few months about maybe—OH MY GOD!"

Temari and Gaara were nearly bowled over by the power of his voice.

"What?" Temari asked weakly, clutching her head.

"Why don't you just come over with me that night?" he asked suddenly. "'The more the merrier,' that's what Gai-sensei always says. You know, Gai-sensei always…"

Temari and Gaara shot each other a look as Lee continued to ramble on.

"We could have Kankurou come by and rescue us," Temari whispered.

"The sooner the better," Gaara added.

"…My favorite saying of his is—" Lee stopped suddenly, noticing the uncharacteristically speculative gleam in both their eyes. "Umm…are you two alright?"

"We'll be happy to stop by," Temari told him.

Lee blinked. "You would?" He clearly hadn't been expecting that.

"Kankurou has a mission that night, I believe," Gaara said. "But I believe Temari and I can make it, if only for a brief time. What time does it start?"

"Ten o'clock next Friday," Lee said, flashing him a huge smile. "Oh, I'm so glad you two can come!" Looking suspiciously touchy-feely, both Temari and Gaara crossed their arms and glared at him, knowing it was ultimately useless. Captured in a monstrously strong bear hug, they winced; Lee was a lot stronger than they (and unfortunately, he) realized.

"I can't wait; just two more missions and it will be Friday!" Lee declared cheerfully, punching the air.

_Weirdo_, Temari thought.

_Weirdo_, Gaara thought.

"Lee, what are you doing?"

Lee froze. "Izari-san, I didn't see you there."

"Obviously," she muttered. "What on earth are you doing to them? They look terrified."

"I've just invited them to my sister's surprise party!" Lee exclaimed.

"Lee, someone's going to hear you and tell Jou-chan about it if you don't _shut up!"_ Izari hissed the last part, her fist clutching the collar of his jounin vest as her other hand covered his mouth. Glancing at the Sand siblings, she receives a look of sympathy from Temari and a look of understanding from Gaara.

"Oh, no!" Lee lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Izari-san."

"Lee, I came here to ask you to do a favor for me," Izari said, dismissing his apology.

Lee looked a little uneasy. "What kind of favor?"

"It's not a sexual one, so you can stop acting so nervous," Izari snapped.

Lee turned bright red. "I wasn't implying that—"

"Shut up, Lee," Izari told him shortly, her voice oddly devoid of any real bite. "Just listen. I'm serious."

Lee saluted her.

Izari was completely unfazed by the movement and continued as if it hadn't happened. "Could you pick my order at the bookstore?" she asked him after a moment.

"Uh…I certainly don't mean to be rude, but why can't you do it?" Lee asked her hesitantly.

Izari avoided his gaze carefully. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances that I do not wish to discuss at length, it seems I am not quite welcome there at the moment," she finished precisely.

"Does this have something to do with what you said to his wife?" Lee asked her with a sigh.

"Wife? I thought it was his mother," Izari blinked. "Oh…I guess that's why she's so mad. My mistake."

Rather than looking sheepish, Temari noted that the woman looked sort of amused.

"Izari-san…not to be disrespectful, but the bookstore you want me to go into…isn't really…"

"Lee, you're over eighteen; it's okay for you to go inside," Izari told him frankly.

Gaara watched his sister's hand clap over her mouth, trying to muffle laughter.

"But I can't just…"

"Please, Lee?" Izari said, giving him a blindingly gorgeous smile. Her arms snaked around his bicep in a very uncharacteristic display of dependence. Lee looked conflicted; Izari was extremely beautiful and when she looked at him so sweetly…

"Fine, but I'm not going to like it," Lee told her sternly. "I'm going to be in and out of that store as fast as I can."

"Lee, speed isn't important to me," Izari winked at him, pressing her wallet into his palm. "But sometimes I like it nice and fast, so do whatever pleases you…"

Lee's face turned crimson and he turned around sharply when she gave him a sharp slap to the ass and he sped off.

"Keep the change, Lee; buy yourself something nice there, would you?" Izari was chuckling to herself. Lee doubled his pace and was soon out of sight.

"Wow, that's still so much fun," Izari said breezily, smiling at Temari. "Good afternoon."

"Uh…yeah," Temari muttered, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

"Sorry, he's such a sweetheart I couldn't resist," Izari shrugged. "Anyway, I needed to talk to you both. It's about those damned surprise parties…they both have to work out or I am going to have to deal with one disappointed twin…which of course will lead to two disappointed twins…and nobody wants that, now do they?"

Neither Sand nin answered, but she pressed on regardless.

"Come over at ten; Jou's getting home around ten fifteen and we're going to surprise her. The rest of Jou's band is going to be there, but trust me, they're usually kind of ditzy so they'll be easy to ignore. Leave by eleven, and I don't care how, just as long as Lee is with you. I know it's going to take a lot of work, but Lee takes his shinobi duties very seriously, as I'm sure you know. From then, kill time for an hour and eventually make your way to this teahouse."

Temari accepted the small card Izari presented her with. Printed on fine paper, she wondered exactly how big this place was and how many people were going to be there.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go pick up my collector's edition of Come Come Paradise," Izari said brightly, voice no longer businesslike. "I reserved a limited edition and I don't want anything bad to happen to my special hardcover edition index."

Walking away after giving them a brisk wave, Temari and Gaara were beginning to feel as if they'd barely scratched the surface of weird.

**-O-**

"You're out?" Kankurou asked in disbelief. "No way! You just had them a week ago."

"It's our best seller," the store owner explained. "There are only fifty in existence and our shipment was for thirty. It's only natural that Jiraiya-sama wanted to keep production down so he could drive the price up. But he can do whatever he wants; the man's a genius!"

_One of Konoha's best ninjas of all time writes porn,_ Kankurou thought for the thousandth time. _I guess it figures; this town's full of perverts…What's this?_

Kankurou looked up from the latest edition of Come Come Paradise he'd been glancing at to see Lee of all people stumble through the door. Looking at his feet, he shuffled to the counter with a face redder than a tomato.

"Uh, I'm here to pick up an order," Lee mumbled. Kankurou was taken aback; when had Lee not been one to exclaim things loudly.

"Name?" the man asked tiredly.

"Zan Izari," Lee muttered, face only inches from the counter as he refused to make eye contact with anyone.

"Oh, _that_ one," the cashier grunted. "You're a nice guy, Lee. You have no business with someone like that."

"Izari-san is my sister's best friend."

"Does that also explain why that nut job preordered not one, but two limited edition copies of Come Come Paradise?" the store owner asked.

"One's going to stay in the box," Lee said, his forehead resting on the counter. Kankurou almost felt sorry for him; the poor guy looked like he would pass out from embarrassment.

"Oi, sure I couldn't buy that second copy off of you?" Kankurou piped up, motioning to one of the boxes on the counter.

"Izari-san would kill me," Lee said seriously, eyes wider than normal. He looked up. "Oh, Kankurou! I—"

Lee had been about to launch into a greeting before he remembered where he was. Eyes darting around, he laid his head back down on the counter as the store owner finished filling out the paperwork.

"Who's Izari?" Kankurou asked.

Lee briefly considered answering 'the Devil' but remembered that it wasn't nice to talk about people that weren't there. Besides, such a clichéd summary really didn't do her justice.

"Izari is…well, Izari is um, a friend of Jou's." There. Nice and objective.

"What, like a lover?" Kankurou asked.

"No, Izari's not Jou's lover!" Lee was indignant; how dare he suggest that his sister had a lover, much less one who cursed, smoked, drank, and started fights at every turn. Not that she was all that bad sometimes, but still…

"Chill out, it was a joke," Kankurou told him, eyeing him carefully.

"Here, they're all set," the store owner told Lee, who dutifully counted out the money and shoved the rest in his pocket.

"That's a lot of cash there," Kankurou commented.

"…" Lee recalled Izari's advice to 'buy himself something nice' and sighed. She had intentionally given him a very large amount, far more than he'd spend in once place. He'd just end up spending it on a few nice meals somewhere, which was fine by him.

"Hey, why the—" Kankurou decided not to use the phrase 'long face' "weird expression?"

"I was just going to ask you something, but then I remembered that you can't," Lee said, still looking perplexed.

"I can't what?" Kankurou was puzzled.

"Can't go to the surprise party Lee's throwing for his sister because you're busy that night," Temari cut in, having entered the bookstore silently. Gaara had refused to set foot inside.

"I can't—OW!"

"No, he really can't," Temari reiterated. "Sorry Lee, but it looked like Izari-san bailed on you. You're supposed to just hold onto them until Jou's party. She asked me to give this to you.

In excessively adorable handwriting, Izari had written on the slip of lavender paper. _Just hold onto these for me, please! But I won't mind if you want to take a little peek, you naughty shinobi you. ;) Thanks a bunch, Lee-sweetie! Enjoy the reading material._

Kankurou almost laughed at the mortified expression on Lee's face.

"Lee, are you alright?" Temari looked a bit concerned.

"I can't believe it!" Lee ran out of the store.

Temari and Kankurou blinked.

"What the hell just happened?" Kankurou asked.

"Eh, Gaara and I are going to a party," Temari shrugged. "And you're going to rescue us, which is why you're not going there from the very beginning. There's going to be a bunch of girls there, so you'd best be quick about it."

"Girls? Like, around my age?"

"And this is exactly why you're not going with us," Temari sighed.

**-O-**

With a bit of trepidation, Temari knocked on the door of Jou's house. It slowly crept open until it jerked to a halt by a thin gold chain.

"Hello," an adorable seventeen year old girl squeaked, face at the opening. "What's the password?"

"Password?" Temari was taken aback. Gaara was apathetic.

"Yeah, I can't let you in without the password," the girl said gravely.

"Yeah!" Another face appeared by the door, practically identical to the first one. "My big sister's right. You need a password."

"We don't have a password," Temari bit out, becoming annoyed.

"Oh, for the love of god, just let those poor people inside," came a very exasperated voice. It was Izari. The door was quickly flung open and her tall form stood imperiously in the doorway.

"Hi."

"Hi," Temari's eyes fell to the front of the shirt, which read "Bitch, please" in sparkling gold letters. Gaara merely blinked before slinking past her.

"Lee, those Suna people are here," Izari called loudly.

Temari was about to object to being referred to as a 'Suna person' but thought wiser. She glanced at the two girls that had answered the door, sending them both running away and giggling.

_Idiots_, Temari thought darkly.

"You two can just sit down in the living room," Izari said offhandedly, glancing back towards the kitchen. "Want something to eat or drink?"

"We're fine," Temari said for both of them, not too keen on eating at the moment. The two sisters had gone out onto the back patio, giggling loudly. The name "Lee-kun" sent shivers down Temari's spine.

"So what's going on here?" Temari asked Izari, who somehow managed to make the act of plopping down onto an armchair look sleek and graceful.

"Lee and I bought a hot tub for Jou-chan," Izari explained. "Kotori-chan and Komiko-chan are _helping_ to install it. Not that those two girls are really good for anything…"

"Izari, that wasn't nice!" Kotori, the older sister, said fitfully. Pouting with her hands on her white kimono-clad hips, she looked about as threatening as a pet rabbit.

"Izari's just jealous because we get to work together with Lee-kun!" Komiko said smartly.

"Or I might just be rude," Izari shrugged, tossing her hair.

"Or that."

"I've spent way too much time fiddling around with pipes and wires as a kid, so I'm letting Lee do the dirty work," Izari muttered, gesturing elegantly to where Lee had just emerged from outside.

"It's all done!" Lee said proudly, for once not wearing his green jumpsuit. Temari and Gaara, who had never seen him out of it, couldn't help but stare a bit.

"Um, are you two alright?"

"Yeah, it's just I always see you in the green suit," Temari grumbled.

Lee laughed. "I don't wear that all the time. Temari, you're so silly sometimes."

Gaara nearly smiled at the look that jumped on his sister's face. Luckily Lee had already turned around or he would have risked turning to stone.

_Ding!_

"I thought that damned cake would never get finished," Izari muttered, walking right past Gaara and Temari to the kitchen.

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Gaara stiffened, eyes darting up towards the ceiling. Finding no sprinkler system, he relaxed slightly. Not at all concerned as to what set off the fire alarm, he was confident his sand could protect him and Temari.

"Shit!" Izari sounded pissed. "Lee, where's the fire extinguisher? I fucking hate water jutsus…"

Black smoke was billowing from the kitchen. Temari covered her mouth while Gaara looked on in morbid fascination.

"Here, Izari-san!" Lee exclaimed, coming to her rescue with a large red fire extinguisher. "Wow, Izari-san, that's a lot of fire! What did you do? I told you not to bake things at temperatures higher than—"

"**SHUT UP AND USE THE DAMNED THING ALREADY!"**

Loud hissing sounds erupted until they were abruptly cut off. Temari was brave enough to peer around the corner. A pan throwing off three foot flames was shoved at the counter, burning the formica countertop and tiles. Izari's foot slid in the white chemicals spewed from the fire extinguisher and she screamed as she fell back.

"Izari!" The normal title dropped in his haste, Lee threw down the extinguisher to catch the hot metal plate that threatened to fall on Izari. Hissing as the metal burned his palms, he threw the dish into the sink.

The waitress Gaara had met briefly at the restaurant had grabbed the extinguisher, but she, too, had slipped on the wet floor and sent a stream of white foam sailing for the ceiling. On her feet again, Izari grabbed the extinguisher and trained it on the fire, finally putting out the flames.

"I hate cooking." Izari's top half was covered in the fluffy white foaming discharge from the fire extinguisher. Lee looked more than a little sheepish.

"Izari-san, I'm so sorry!" Lee threw down the extinguisher and got on his hands and knees. "In the over eagerness of my youth I—"

"Save it," Izari growled. She started to fidget. "Shit, this stuff is cold! Ugh!"

Lee's face threatened to burst when she started to take off her tank top, moving slowly towards the hall. Cursing the whole way, she disappeared into what Temari recalled was the bathroom.

"Uh…" For once Lee looked as if he didn't know what to say. Huge, black scorch marks marred the walls from where the flames had seared the tiles. The strong smell of chemicals hung in the air and one of the sisters surprised Temari with her intelligence by actually opening a window. The contents of the extinguisher covered roughly half of the kitchen. Some of the white foam still clung to Lee's clothes as he washed his hands off in the sink, revealing red, blistered flesh.

"Um, hello?"

Everyone in the kitchen turned to where a completely confused Jou stood in the doorway. Izari stumbled out of the bathroom, her hair wet and a towel wrapped around her chest. Pausing when she saw Jou, she blinked. Voice completely deadpan and apathetic, she raised a gold eyebrow.

"Oh yeah…Surprise."

**Author's Notes:** Yes, another continuation, I'm sorry. Definitely more Neji/Tenten next chapter, but this is just building up to it. You know Lee's party is going to be anything but normal…


	16. Whole

**Whole**

Sonnie

"It's been empirically proven that every time we do this, bad things happen," Shikamaru reminded Tenten as she downed her first shot of tequila.

"I'm just having one or two drinks, alright?" Tenten said testily.

"You're pissed because Neji hasn't called, aren't you?"

"I know men have that stupid rule where they wait to call a girl, but _come on_," Tenten huffed. "He's avoiding me."

"Whoa, slow down," Shikamaru advised as her hand reached to pour another shot. "What's the rush? I plan on getting a good buzz later so this troublesome party passes by more quickly, but I've still got a lot of time until that urge kicks in."

"The party will be gone before you know it if you just have some of what _I'm_ having," Tenten said, winking, brandishing the tequila bottle at him temptingly. "It's your you're your favorite brand! Besides, it's the only time I really see you without inhibitions. In fact, you're pretty much anti-inhibitions."

"No tequila." Shikamaru's voice was dead firm. "For one thing it leaves me with the worst hangovers imaginable, second, it makes me act very unpredictably, and third, it makes me act very unpredictably towards you. Scratch that, I know _exactly_ how I'm going to act and I have no desire to suffer the Gentle Fist style before I die."

"Neji doesn't know the meaning of the word 'jealousy,' Shikamaru," Tenten stated. "I actually saw him eating lunch with Sakura the other day. Sakura! Now I feel ugly, stupid, and _really_ inferior so if you would please help yourself to some tequila, I know I'd feel a lot better."

"I'm going to be all over you tonight," Shikamaru told her. "I mean, people actually thought we were a couple last time."

"That's why you should have some more," Tenten said, grinning lazily. "_Anata_."

"I don't think so, _koishii_," Shikamaru countered, arms crossed as an unwilling smile made it onto his lips.

Tenten, a wee bit tipsy, giggled. "I'm going to appeal to that shriveled, foreign thing you call an ego and tell you flat out that I want your attention. Yes, it's because I'm not going to get it from someone else, but that can easily be overlooked with the help of that little shot glass over there and some of this tequila right here. Come on, Shikamaru…please?"

"Don't use that tone, I'm feeling morally frail," Shikamaru whined. "Ino's been gone on a mission all month and I am exceptionally weak-willed. We're going to be a real couple when she gets back, so we're technically not official yet…and you look quite pretty when you give me those puppy dog eyes."

"Shikamaru, it's the only way you'll go dancing with me and I really, really want to go dancing," Tenten said sweetly. "Neji asked Sakura to come here with him, and that's the real reason why I'm so upset. So please…just a drink?"

"Peer pressure, it's all so troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled, taking the shot glass. Downing the contents quickly, he poured himself another. "We're going to regret this. You're going to piss him off _bad_, and I'm going to be the one that gets their ass kicked. Normally I'd object to being used like this," he downed the second shot, "but not today."

Slamming the empty glass down on the table, he poured himself another.

"Bottoms up," he said with an uncharacteristically sultry grin. He winked at her.

"Bottoms up," Tenten echoed, toasting him.

**-O-**

"Um…what's going on?" Jou stood in the doorway, clearly confused. Her thin arms held an acoustic guitar case.

"Uh, yeah, we kind of got you a hot tub," Izari shrugged casually. "Fun, fun."

"A hot tub?" Jou asked, puzzled. "So that's why you guys have been acting a little weird lately?"

"Oh no!" Kotori wailed. "You weren't surprised!" The tiny girl ran down the hall and locked herself in the bathroom. Her sister was close behind, trying to talk her out. Izari sighed.

"Damn, I left my change of clothes in there," Izari muttered. "I'm going to dig up something in your room, Jou-chan. Don't worry, I'll try and get something that I won't stretch out with my boobs."

Jou blinked numbly, watching as Izari whipped off the towel on the way back to her room, practically giving Lee a brain hemorrhage. Shrugging (Temari got the feeling Jou had just about seen it all), Jou turned to Mika.

"What are you guys doing?" Jou asked finally, watching as Lee tried their best to clean up the mess they'd made in the kitchen. "What happened?"

"Izari can't cook." The short, clipped statement from Mika was right to the point.

"I can cook…it's the baking part I don't get," Izari clarified, stopping in the hall. Wrapping the towel back around her she walked back towards Mika. "I'm perfectly fine at mixing things, but heating them up…it's a lot of work. Besides, it's a lot easier to make things explode; it's a wonder it doesn't happen more often. Why, when you take into consideration the chemical makeup of sugar alone—"

"Izari, shut up," Mika snapped. "This is _your_ fault!"

"Yeah, like I intentionally set her kitchen on fire," Izari said, rolling her eyes. "Give this detective a promotion!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you _did_ do it on purpose!" Mika retorted. "This day isn't even about you and you go and pull a stunt like this for attention—"

"Look, Mika-_chan_," Izari bit out the honorific, "I wouldn't go making indictments if I were you. You know I'd never do something like that; even I'm not that selfish."

Mika laughed incredulously. "You're the most selfish person I know!"

"Coming from you, it's a wonder that you don't fall over dead after an accusation like that," Izari snorted.

"Mika, Izari," Jou's voice was firm and the endearments were dropped. "This isn't anyone's fault. Don't worry about the kitchen; no one got seriously hurt and I think the person that's been done the most harm is Kotori-chan, from the sound of things. I'm going to go talk to her."

Jou looked back and forth between them, a dark look on her face that was dead serious. She dropped the guitar case between them loudly but her voice was barely above a whisper.

"_Settle this."_

Temari was surprised by the tone of her voice. Since when was Jou so severe? She saw that Gaara was similarly taken aback, if the only hints were in his narrowed eyes.

"Temari, Gaara, thanks for coming," Jou smiled at them brightly, surprisingly sincere and sweet. "I kind of know what's going on now, so I appreciate it a lot."

Mika and Izari continued to stare each other down as Jou went over to the bathroom. Sitting next to Komiko, she leaned her head against the door.

"Kotori, I wish you'd come out," Jou said softly. "I don't want you to be upset on my birthday."

"I spent so much time planning it with Komiko-chan and Lee-kun…" a sniffle interrupted the statement briefly. "I had the decorations planned out a month ago and I even had them specially made. You weren't even surprised!"

"I _was_ surprised," Jou said honestly.

_I would be too if I came home and found out my brother helped ruin a room of my house_, Temari thought dryly.

"But it was a bad surprise!" Kotori wailed.

"I don't think so," Jou told her. "When was the last time we were all together like this since we toured Tea Country, hm? Tea Country wasn't even that great. The only reason I had so much fun was because all of my friends were there, just like they are now."

"Really?" Kotori sniffed.

"Really," Jou repeated. "I mean it. Now come on out so we can celebrate together, please?"

Temari could almost hear her head nod up and down from behind the door as she mumbled, "Okay." As soon as she was out of the bathroom, Izari zipped inside. Mika was still glaring after her.

"Talk about a peacekeeper," Temari observed, watching as Jou went over to calm Mika down.

"Tenten keeps Neji and Lee from killing each other," Gaara said.

"What's harder; keeping two guys from killing each other or keeping four girls from killing each other?"

"I guess that depends on the girl," Gaara said, eyes blinking as they read Izari's new shirt as she came out of the bathroom.

"What?" Izari saw nothing wrong with the shirt, which read "_It's not easy being this easy_" across the chest. "Come on now, it's either this one or the other one I have along."

"Actually, I like that one better," Jou suggested, sitting on the floor to leave her chairs available. "Go with that one."

Izari shrugged. "Sure, why not." She disappeared into the bathroom.

"So…I think this is the first surprise party you've thrown for me that I've actually been surprised," Jou said.

"Planning them every consecutive year since you were thirteen doesn't help," Izari called from the bathroom.

"It's also the first time my Lee-chan has been able to surprise me!" Jou squealed excitedly as Lee sat down on the floor next to her. She gave him a hug. "I love you, Lee-chan!"

"I love you too, Jou-chan!" Lee exclaimed, crying jubilantly.

Gaara thanked whatever lucky stars he had that Jou wasn't crying too. He was already resisting the urge to bolt; something about a grown man indulging in frequent tears creeped him out. Temari was similarly unsettled.

_Ding Dong!_

_Kankurou's here already?_ Temari thought. _It's not even ten thirty._

The doorbell rang a second time and no one moved; Lee and Jou were still embracing, Kotori and Komiko were still cooing over them, and Mika was still sulking. It rang a third time (Temari gritted her teeth; Kankurou wasn't five years old anymore but she feared any minute he'd simply tap the button over and over until someone answered) and a forth.

"Can't anyone get the goddamned door?" Izari demanded, leaving the bathroom and stalking over to the front door. She threw it open gustily, piercing gray-violet eyes fixed on the intruder.

"Can I help you?"

Kankurou looked up from where his sandal had been fraying Jou's green welcome mat. Dark green eyes lazily resting on the middle of her chest where, in red, cursive letters, it read _"I'm easy."_

"Well, now that you mention it…"

"Smart aleck, you're letting a draft in here," Izari said bluntly, hands on her hips. "Get your fat ass in the house within the next ten seconds or I'm slamming this door in your face, that is unless your wide hips prevent the door from closing."

"_Excuse me?"_

"Oh, you heard me, unless that cat-hat of yours is blocking your hearing."

"You're a bitch."

"Better to be a bitch than a doormat, especially the one you're standing on currently, and you now have three seconds to get in here or your ass is on the curb."

"Bitch," Kankurou grumbled, stepping inside.

"You've already used that one, try again," Izari told him. Leaving him standing at the door, she walked to the living room, plopping down next to Lee. One of her long legs knocked against his, practically sending him running across the floor.

"Lee, if I wanted to hit on you I'd be a little more direct," Izari said tiredly. "Get your ass back here before you offend my delicate ego."

"Nothing about her is _delicate_," Mika muttered archly, elbowed by Komiko who looked at Jou nervously.

"Kankurou, thanks for coming," Lee said brightly. "I thought you weren't able to make it."

Getting over his initial confusion (_the hell was up with the blonde chick?_) Kankurou resisted the strong urge to peek into the kitchen on the way to the living room, not knowing the mess that awaited him inside. He didn't think his brother and sister would like it terribly much if he asked for food before he made up the story about how they needed Lee for a bogus assignment.

"I hate to interrupt your little surprise party, but Gaara, Temari, Lee and I have just been assigned a new mission," Kankurou lied smoothly. "Sorry, man."

"Jou-chan, I'm—"

"Lee, it's alright," Jou shushed him. Her disappointment was obvious but she smiled at him. "I know. It's not the first time, Lee, and it's not the last."

Lee smiled at her. This time the hug was free of histrionics; even Izari would not have dared to tease. In fact she looked quite somber. She knew what was going on but didn't look terribly pleased that it was going to force Lee and his sister apart, even for a few hours.

"C'mon, let's go," Kankurou said rather sensitively. "That crazy old lady you have running this place is going to have my head if you're late."

"She's not a crazy old lady!" Mika said indignantly.

"Right," It was Izari who surprisingly came to his defense, though probably not for the sake of defending him. "First, she's a lady, if only in the loosest way the term implies, second, she's at least fifty, and that's old in my book, and three, she's nuts, pure and simple. How many other Hokages carry alcoholic beverages through the hospital, gamble until flat broke, or sleep on the job in the middle of the afternoon?"

Mika glared at Izari. "You don't have to be so snippy."

"You're right, I don't," Izari said, smiling sweetly.

"Goodbye, Lee," Jou said loudly, partially to interrupt the growing tension between her two friends. Both girls looked up. Jou gave Lee a smile. "I'll see you when I see you."

"Right!" Lee saluted her. "I'll hurry back! Not that I won't do my best, but I will do it as fast as humanly possible, even if I have to open up a—"

"No gates," Jou said firmly. "Not unless you're in trouble."

"I promise!" Lee exclaimed, out the door in a flash.

Kankurou blinked. "He'd better not have gotten too far ahead. I don't want to have to actually find him or anything."

"He's probably well on his way to Tsunade-sama's by now," Temari sighed. "Sorry about your party, Jou-san."

"It's alright," Jou concurred graciously. "Thank you for coming, even if you couldn't stay."

Gaara nodded wordlessly to her as he followed Kankurou and Temari out of the door.

_Where the hell is Lee?_

**-O-**

"That son of a bitch can't tell time," Izari muttered, not bothering to hide the scowl on her face as she recalled the experience of opening the door to find that grinning jackass. He could have at least given Jou and Lee a little bit of time together, even if they'd be reunited later.

"Is something wrong, Izari?"

"Never mind," Izari said, shaking her head. "I know you're really bummed about Lee, but why not just head down to the teahouse anyway? We already have our room reserved."

"But the people down there want to be with Lee, not me," Jou reminded her.

"Then we can go down and tell them," Izari pointed out. "Now get your ass in gear. I want to party."

"No—"

"Yes, I remember; no picking up guys, no getting completely smashed, no getting arrested."

"Actually, I was just going to ask that you not start a fight."

Izari blinked, then sighed. "I'll do my best, but no promises."

Jou smiled crookedly. "Fair enough. But remember what happened before…you _lost_ a dance competition and you got really mad."

Izari laughed. "Like I'm going to see that scrawny Jounin at the party."

**-O-**

Shikamaru, being the realist that he was, knew that he was unable to refute that which could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The presence of a higher power in the universe or whether or not his mother and father had ever really gotten along were questions he couldn't answer, if only because the information was either beyond is comprehension or inaccessible entirely.

However, Shikamaru couldn't deny that was completely, totally, **_utterly_** smashed. He was actually quite aware of what he was doing in the faint recesses of his mind that weren't a haze-filled marshland of useless brain cells. His body was simply acting on its own, content to let his mind know everything and control nothing.

"Shikamaru!" Tenten shrieked, giggling as she pulled his fingertips from the hem of her pants for the third time. "That tickles."

"You also said that about my stubble," Shikamaru countered in a sultry voice, rubbing his chin against her neck.

"We are all over each other and I can't bring myself to care," Tenten smiled.

"I'm considering you my one-woman stag party before I commit myself to Ino," Shikamaru said solemnly before chuckling. "No sex though…I can't be having sex with you. Can't kiss you either…but I can paw you. You see, sex and kisses are so terribly intimate…whereas blatantly sexual touching outside a romantic relationship is so much more fitting for a single man like me."

Tenten sighed. "Shikamaru, it's sad, but I think that's actually one of the only times you've ever deemed it necessary to sound not only like a chauvinist pig, but a sex-deprived chauvinist pig."

Shikamaru smiled. "But that's why we're drunk. Because I say whatever I'm thinking and I just don't care. I'm going to kick myself tomorrow if I remember any of this."

Tenten laughed dryly. "We know we aren't going to kiss each other or sleep together. We know that neither of those scenarios is going to happen tonight…I mean, what would else could there possibly be to remember?"

**-O-**

Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou were currently scouring the streets of Konoha, wondering exactly where in the hell the villages own Beautiful Green Beast had run off to. It didn't help that Konoha was the largest hidden village, or that Rock Lee was one of the fastest ninjas they'd ever met…or that on the rare occasion they actually looked for him he was never around, just like at the current moment.

"Lee's such an idiot," Kankurou muttered. "I mean, he just _had_ to go running around in the middle of the night…Damn it. Not to mention that bitch who answered the door…I mean, what the hell was her problem? I bet she's having her period."

"You know, you were a lot nicer when you and Tenten were still together…almost sweet," Temari remarked after a moment.

"Girls like all that romantic stuff," Kankurou said cheekily, not sparing her a glance. "I'm not Mr. Nice Guy."

"But it had to come from somewhere," Temari muttered. "You're not Mr. Heartless either. She just brought out the softer side, I guess…but what happened? You broke up with her and now…?"

"He didn't see a reason to be nice anymore," Gaara said tonelessly, giving his sister a bland look.

"Yeah, but he's a lot crankier now," Temari noted. "I mean, I understand not mentioning the fact you think about sex ALL the time, but really…you're so much bitchier than before."

"It's freaking freezing out here, I'm allowed to be as bitchy as I want!" Kankurou complained.

"It's nearly December, idiot," Temari mumbled. She sighed. "I'm still not seeing Lee."

"If I freeze my ass of because of him—"

"—You'll be five pounds lighter," Temari finished.

"Shut up," Kankurou snapped.

"Don't tell me to shut up; I'm your older sister!" Temari growled.

"Shut up," Gaara commanded, succeeding in silencing both his brother and sister. "We need to find Lee so we can guide him towards the teahouse."

"Where is he?" Kankurou grunted, looking around the dimly-lit streets.

"There he is," Temari muttered, pointing to where he was jogging in place a few blocks away.

"Idiot," Kankurou grumbled. "Oi, what are you doing Lee?"

"Way to wake up half the town, moron," Temari remarked.

"I'm just waiting for you guys to catch up so we can all go to Tsunade-sama together," Lee explained, just as loudly. Temari shook her head.

"Our instructions are to meet clients at a local teahouse," Kankurou told him, hoping that in his aggravation his lie sounded more convincing. "We've lost a lot of time tracking you down. The goddamned teahouse is on the other side of town."

Lee blinked. "Oops." Sheepish look soon erased, he turned abruptly. "Let's go to the teahouse then!"

Temari's shoulders fell as Lee went sprinting away.

"Lee, it's the OTHER teahouse!"

"Heh, heh, right…"

**-O-**

Neji wasn't sure why exactly he'd invited Sakura to go to Lee's party. It could have been that he always respected her intelligence. It could have been that she was quite pretty. It could have been that she mentioned that she didn't have anyone to go with (not that it was the sort of party that demanded it, but a date was always nice). It could have been that he was still annoyed with Tenten for cavorting around with Kankurou.

"I really appreciate you coming here with me," Sakura thanked him kindly. She looked down at the tops of her pink shoes thoughtfully. "I thought you were going to go with Tenten, but Shikamaru mentioned they were going together."

"Shikamaru?" Neji was taken a bit by surprise but it only came out as a bored inquiry. "Why is she going with Shikamaru?"

"Well, they _do_ live together," Sakura pointed out blithely. Neji mentally grit his teeth on that one. "It's just convenient, I guess. Besides, they are good friends, right?"

_Good friends who act like a lot more than friends,_ Neji thought darkly. He was thankful that not every man in Konoha was chasing after her, but he got the impression that whenever he wasn't around they were much more inclined to do so.

"Oh look, they're here already," Sakura commented, pointing to where they sat at the bar, laughing and carrying on, obviously borderline drunk. Shikamaru nearly fell of his stool, stopped only by Tenten's arms wrapping around his waist. Leaning back against her, he whispered something in her ear, causing her to blush. He playfully nipped her earlobe, causing a surprised yelp.

_What the hell are they doing? _Inner Sakura demanded. _Get a room…and invite me over! _

"It looks like we weren't the only ones to arrive a bit early," Sakura said shyly.

"Why does he always have girls all over him?" Neji asked tonelessly.

_He's HOT, that's why! I've never seen him drunk like this before…he's actually sexy! And the way he's moving…is he **swaggering**?_

"I don't know; he's not even that attractive," Sakura told Neji. "He's skinny, rude, and totally boring. I don't know why Ino's so hooked on him…I mean, it's Shikamaru!"

**-O-**

_Oh, shit. _

Tenten had always stood by the saying "lightning never strikes the same place twice." Unfortunately, life had decided to prove her wrong. Not only was she once again drunk with Shikamaru, the _same_ client they had met in the very same situation was walking towards them.

"Ooh look, it's the Naras!"

_Naras! _

Sakura felt her jaw hit the floor. _Naras…as in the Nara couple?...as in the Nara **married** couple?_

"Yomagata Keiko-san!" Tenten said sweetly, hoping she didn't look half as superficial as she felt. The woman was unbearable.

"How are you two lovebirds doing?" the woman asked sweetly.

"Hot," Shikamaru said, grinning widely. Tenten winced as her ass was groped. He was completely toasted; he was dead serious as he spoke. He wasn't even trying to mess with the other woman like Tenten had been intending to do. He was laying on the sexuality.

"Oh, I see," Keiko grinned. "Are you two still trying to have a baby?"

_Oh, what the hell_… "Every night," Tenten said, laughing.

"Multiple times," Shikamaru nodded smugly, arm wrapping around her waist.

Tenten giggled. "Animal," she chided, giggling some more.

"You know you like it," Shikamaru smirked. He bent down and nuzzled her neck, causing her to giggle some more.

"I do," Tenten cooed, winking at him.

"You two are so passionate; what's your secret?" Keiko asked enthusiastically.

"Lots of sex," Shikamaru told her unabashedly. "I mean real kinky stuff. My clan specializes in shadow jutsus and I can tell you that…"

Tenten was really embarrassed but she was also up for having some fun. Besides, they had more than half an hour until Lee was supposed to show up, more than enough time to wrap things up and make her way to the room Jou had reserved for the party.

"He does have some great moves," Tenten said serenely. "Great rhythm, too…you should see him dance."

"I do recall that he did quite well the last time I saw him," Keiko said seriously. "You young people…you're always doing something bold and daring. What was it again…oh yes, the "Best Ass" Dance Competition category."

Tenten buried her face in Shikamaru's shoulder as she laughed. He still had a cheesy trophy back at the apartment, its shiny, gold foil-plated cheeks glinting in the bright light.

"I won first place," Shikamaru said, smiling widely. "And Tenten-koishii here helped snag us "Hottest Couple" award. I wonder if they're having any competitions tonight…"

"_Holy shit."_

Neji turned sharply to face the normally demure Sakura.

"Shikamaru is _amazing_!" Sakura looked impressed. "Ino never told me _these_ details! They say all Nara men, under the right circumstances, can be absolutely _irresistible_ but wow! Those tequila rumors were right!"

_Tenten left out the Hottest Couple part,_ Neji thought sourly, watching as Shikamaru and Tenten ended their conversation with the woman. After she left the establishment, they slapped high fives.

"You were good," Shikamaru complimented.

"You were too," Tenten told him.

"You're good right now," Shikamaru drawled, his hands tightening at her waist. "And I'll be really good too."

Tenten laughed. "You're really touchy-feely when you're drunk."

"But you're really hot when I'm drunk."

"Shikamaru, that's not much of a compliment," Tenten snapped.

"You're hot all the time," Shikamaru offered. "I just conveniently block it out. Living with anyone desensitizes them until a little friend called tequila comes along…"

"You are going to want to kick yourself in the morning," Tenten told him.

"Assuming I remember any of this, perhaps," he conceded. Her grinned lazily, hands reaching for her again. "But I won't, so it doesn't matter."

"It does matter."

Neji had appeared behind Shikamaru, who wisely stepped away from Tenten.

"Tenten, what are you doing?" Neji hissed. "Don't you have any self respect?"

"I do, but I forgot about it when I found out you were coming here with Sakura," Tenten said breezily, but her words were clipped. "I just want to have a little bit of fun…"

"With him?" Neji demanded.

"We're just flirting," Tenten pointed out. "We've determined it won't change anything between us. It's harmless. Neither of us is officially affiliated with anyone, in case, at least not yet."

Neji blinked. "So you and Kankurou aren't going out together anymore?"

"Explain to me how that's any of your business," Tenten said flatly. "You kiss me and don't call me for three weeks…don't pull that 'I had a mission' crap because you've obviously been home long enough to ask out Sakura and I _do_ have an answering machine. It's pretty much understood that if someone doesn't contact you after you've kissed them, they aren't interested in seeing you again, the clincher being them asking out someone else."

Sakura stood nervously by Neji's side. Tenten had a very good point; not that Neji was an expert on relationships, but it was pretty much a common sense-type thing.

"I don't read minds, Neji," Tenten said, giving him a look that was clearly meant to poke fun at his many speeches about the Byakugan being able to read its opponents. "And Shikamaru and I are going to celebrate his last night as a free man" Tenten laughed "by making an ass of himself. So if you'll excuse us, we're going upstairs to wait for Jou-chan and Lee."

Sakura stared in disbelief as Tenten and Shikamaru turned calmly around, the former not flinching when her companion's arm slipped a little lower than her waist.

"Shikamaru is such a pimp," Sakura said, mouth gaping open. "Ino's such a lucky girl!"

"She's not even with him, Tenten is," Neji pointed out.

Sakura laughed darkly. "Then Tenten is a very lucky girl," Sakura said slyly. Rubbing her hands together conspiratorially (this was going to be a _great_ story for Ino) she turned around and smiled serenely. "Come on, Neji, going upstairs is a good idea."

Neji sighed inwardly, knowing that if Tenten was upstairs, it really wasn't going to be a good idea at all.

**-O-**

"I thought people made reservations so they didn't have to stand in line," Izari observed drolly. It was extremely chilly outside and there was a massive line outside the teahouse.

"I want to get inside and tell everyone what happened," Jou said fretfully, glancing towards the front of the line. A prim and rather stuck up young woman was at the front, checking a guest list at what Izari estimated was the slowest speed she could manage without getting fired.

_I want to get inside before we run into Lee,_ Izari thought darkly. She looked around before stepping out of line.

"Izari-chan!" Jou was surprised as her friend walked sleekly towards the front where the woman had just turned away a couple.

"Excuse me, but we have a reservation," Izari said politely. "We were—"

"I'm busy," the woman said curtly,

"The customer service here is appalling," Izari commented airily. "I just thought I'd tell you, if that means anything to you."

"Not really, because _I'm_ calling the shots, not you," the girl shrugged, rolling her eyes, not even glancing up at Izari.

"If you think that makes you a big deal, you're dead wrong, doll," Izari told her, hands on her hips.

"Why don't you just be a rock star and wait like everyone else," the girl asked sweetly, glancing up at a rather intimidating Izari. Eyes widening, she stepped back when she recognized the musician.

"Honey, I _am_ a rock star, and trust me…we don't wait."

"Um, yeah," the girl said shyly, face turning a bit pink.

"Oh, and would you be a darling and call over your manager? I think we should have a heart to heart about the direction of your current employment. The whole point of a reservation is so you don't have to wait…didn't they teach you that where you get your nails done?"

The girl sputtered, not quite sure what to say.

"Oh, I'll keep my mouth shut if you direct some people upstairs for me when they get here," Izari said, personality changing completely. "One of them is going to be wearing a green jumpsuit…that should be enough info. He and the three people he's with need to be let in no more than five minutes before midnight. I do trust you'll get the room right when you do. Thank you, doll face."

Izari smiled at her widely before she motioned for Jou and her friends to come inside.

"Night, night!"

**-O-**

Lee and the Sand siblings were standing outside the teahouse, which apparently had a line extending for nearly fifty people.

"This is taking forever," Kankurou grumbled.

"What time are we supposed to meet the client?" Lee asked anxiously. It was the first time he'd spoken up, which was odd. Usually he'd be chatting nonstop, but he seemed preoccupied.

_He probably feels bad about his sister_, Temari thought.

"Oh!" the woman at the door spotted them and called them up. "Please, hurry right this way!"

Kankurou raised an eyebrow. "That was a lot quicker than I thought," he muttered as the rather nervous looking woman ushered them in, someone else replacing her at the front door. He whistled appreciatively when he stepped inside.

"I didn't know they had places like this in Konoha," he said truthfully. "This is pretty ritzy."

"Yeah," Temari glanced around, trying to look unimpressed. _Reserving a room here must have cost a fortune. More than any ninja made, anyway. How much money does that girl make?_

"Here, right this way," the girl said skittishly, glancing at Lee like he was going to bite her head off. Completely oblivious to the woman's discomfort, Lee was asking Kankurou more details about the mission until he almost turned around and snapped at him.

"You'll see when we get there," he said gruffly. "Just follow us."

Lee obediently followed, a bit of his gusto coming back. Lee took a deep breath as they reached the door the girl had indicated. Glancing after her oddly as she practically ran away, he cleared his mind as his hand closed on the shouji door. He slid it open slowly.

**-O-**

"**SURPRISE!"**

Lee was practically bowled over by the power of everyone's voice. He was practically shoved into Gaara by his sister's enthusiastic hug. Naruto's clap on the back was enough to dislocate a normal man's shoulder. Sakura swooped in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, turning his cheeks flaming red.

Lee blinked; he'd gone from feeling fairly down to feeling absolute elation. He was going to celebrate his youth with his friends and family!

"I'm so glad to be commemorating the anniversary of my dear student's birth!" Maito Gai's voice was so loud Temari thought she'd punch him in the mouth. The tears streaming down his face made all three Sand siblings take an unconscious step backwards. Kankurou was almost taken out as Gai pulled a package out from behind his back with a flourish.

"My beloved student, I wish so desperately to be a part of your grand celebration of your youth, but I tragically have been assigned a mission and won't be able to stay!"

Temari was thanking her lucky stars before he had even said the last few words. So were her eardrums. She tried not the wince as she took in the green wrapping paper, green ribbon, and green birthday card.

Lee gaped, eyes watering freely, tenderly holding the package to his chest. "Do you want me to open it now?"

"Yes, Lee," Gai nodded, pride swelling in his chest. Temari knew the two were genuinely very close; why did they need to act so over-the-top?

Lee carefully unwrapped the gift (_what, doesn't he want to tear the green paper?_ Kankurou thought dismally), exposing a pair of leg weights. Instead of "guts" they now read "youth" in dark, bold characters down the side.

"They're perfect!" Lee exclaimed, eyes brimming with tears.

"I made them just for you!" Gai told him.

_I'd be a little alarmed if they were something you could just go out and buy somewhere,_ Gaara thought warily. _But even more unsettling is the fact that busy-body instructors can sit around and make them; are there directions floating around somewhere?_

"I'm going to try them on!" Lee said excitedly, sitting down on a floor cushion. Slinging off a weight and handing it to Kankurou, the latter tried very hard not the let the thing drop right through his grasp, right through the floor he stood on, and right through the skull of the poor sucker that might be standing below him on the bottom floor of the building. He let out a sigh or relief when Gaara's sand plucked the weight from his hands as if it didn't weigh a pound.

"Thanks," he told his brother as the redhead's sand accepted the second weight from Lee. The shiny-haired nin was strapping on the new weights, standing up and giving a few test kicks. Judging by the still-apparent ease at which Lee could move, Kankurou was grateful that he wasn't going to be fighting him any time soon.

_Tenten was able to con me into going for a run with her,_ he thought darkly, recalling his scowl when a rather energetic brunette showed up at his doorstep at six in the morning. _But she couldn't **pay** me to fight fuzzy-eyebrows over here…_

Kankurou frowned. He was in bad mood, sure, but for some reason Lee was really pissing him off tonight. Generally finding the bowl cut haired ninja mildly annoying yet fairly easy to ignore, he was now forced to spend an entire night devoted solely to him and it wasn't sitting well. Especially since he was so _goddamned_ cheerful…

"Could you look any unhappier?" Temari whispered fiercely, nudging him sharply with her elbow.

"Wait a few minutes and you'll see," he said darkly. His eyes shifted to where Shikamaru and Tenten were carrying on. Following his gaze, his sister sighed.

"What the hell are they doing?" she asked finally.

"Pissing me off," Kankurou muttered. His sister didn't look terribly happy either. His sister wasn't one to sulk so she walked to the other side of the room and took a seat on a floor cushion close to Lee.

"I hope you realize that you look absolutely murderous," a voice said sweetly. It was the blonde who'd answered the door earlier, intensifying the downward direction this night was slowly heading.

"What do you want?" Kankurou asked in a way that very clearly told her he did _not_ want to know.

"You're starting to make Jou a little nervous with all that glaring. Poor little girl worries to death about everything, you know. I don't think Lee's done anything to deserve it, so what's the real reason you look so pissed off?"

"It's none of your business, butt out," Kankurou snapped.

Izari laughed merrily, setting off warning bells in his head. "It _is_ my business," Izari corrected. "You see, Jou is my best friend and Jou, being the sweetheart that she is, won't call you on any bad behavior tonight because she doesn't want to cause a scene. I, however, have no problem in doing so, and I'd like nothing better than to kick someone's ass tonight."

Kankurou snorted. "_You_, beat _me_ up?"

"I'd settle for verbal emasculation," Izari shrugged. "But I don't care how mad you are. If I'm not allowed to start a fight, neither are you."

"You're not my mother," Kankurou countered. "Just get the hell out of here. I'm not in a good mood."

"I know. The world isn't all that great for everybody all the time, but you can't just go acting however you want."

"_You're_ one to be getting all preachy on me," Kankurou spat.

"But just think about it this way; would your little ex-girlfriend Tenten over there want you to start a fight with that spiky-haired idiot? I don't think so. And she'd be equally upset if that white-eyed guy who's staring at her hard enough to burn holes through her did the same thing. He looks even more pissed off than you do, though I've determined that he pretty much lives in a constant state of anger."

"Well aren't you just the queen of observation today," Kankurou deadpanned. "Piss off."

Izari smiled at him brightly, a grin so creepily fake and sincere at the same time that it made his skin crawl. "Sure, just remember what I said," she reminded him, poking him in the chest with a purple-lacquered nail. "No fighting."

Kankurou glared at her, his mood souring by the minute. "What are you going to do if I start one?"

Izari blinked, her bewildered expression followed by a laugh. It sent a chill down his spine; it sure wasn't a happy laugh. Definitely tinged with the promise of pain, the chuckles were still evident in her voice when she spoke.

"Do _not_ mess with me," she said cheerfully, patting the top of his hood. "Bye, bye."

After a cute little wave, she left him and returned to Jou's side, where Lee was opening up an orange-colored gift from Naruto. Lee fell backwards and Izari caught him with one arm and the gift before it landed on his head with the other.

"Another Come Come Paradise boxset?" Izari asked critically. "How cliché." She scanned the cover. "Wait…are these _new_ chapters? How come I've never seen these before?"

"Yeah, my teacher writes them," Naruto said proudly.

Izari gasped, dropping Lee suddenly with a loud thump. "He does?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my god, your teacher is JIRAIYA! I _have_ to meet him," Izari said urgently.

Naruto gave her an appraising look up and down before shaking his head. "I don't know if that's really a good idea. He might use you as inspiration for his newest book."

Far from looking upset at this, Izari appeared quite star-struck. "Really? That would be absolutely brilliant!"

Temari glanced sideways at the blonde, who was discussing details of a meeting with the white-haired pervert with Naruto. She was obviously thrilled at the prospect.

_What a weird woman_, she thought, frowning. She looked up to see her brother's reaction—after all, the two had just been talking a moment ago—but Kankurou was looking over at Tenten again.

_God, I hope that he doesn't do something stupid tonight,_ Temari thought. _He's been getting worse and worse since they broke up. I mean, sometimes he's okay, but others…I know he's not over it yet. I've got a bad feeling about tonight…_

**-O-**

"Tenten, Neji looks **_PISSED_**."

"Hm?" Tenten glanced up, turning up her nose at Neji's glare. "He always looks pissed."

"No, he always looks emotionless," Shikamaru managed to correct through his slightly drunken haze. "Pissed falls under the category of 'bad for Shikamaru' if you get my drift. We need to get out of here, at least until he cools down."

"Lee's just about to open my gift, just wait a minute," Tenten told him, elbowing him.

Shikamaru elbowed back.

"Ow."

"Oww."

"OW."

"Shut up, both of you," Kankurou snapped. Lee turned around, eyes wide.

"It's nothing, just go back to opening up your presents," Kankurou reassured him at Izari's warning look. He really didn't know what she was capable of; something told him he didn't want to find out. Even if she couldn't unscrew the cap off a peanut butter jar he knew that something as small as an argument would do wonders to further degrade his already shot anger management skills.

"TENTEN, THANK YOU!" Lee stood up suddenly, manly tears in his eyes. He clutched the photo display to his chest, the brushed silver frame containing pictures of Team Gai throughout the years. The last picture had been taken over a year and a half ago.

"You're welcome, Lee," Tenten smiled at him, eyes widening when she found herself being crushed in a hug. "…Lee…could you perhaps, ease up a bit?"

"Oops, sorry," Lee said sheepishly, back at his sister's side in an instant. He went back to opening his presents, and as Shikamaru hadn't gotten him anything (and really wasn't at a point in his life where he cared) he and Tenten snuck out and went downstairs where the deejay was coincidentally spinning a Green Dragons remix.

Sakura had since moved to sit with Temari, as her "date" was not being very receptive towards her (or anyone) in general. Neji and Kankurou glanced back at Lee, glanced back at the open shouji door, then back towards Lee. Halfway there, their eyes met and narrowed. Black irises hit white irises intensely. Both men were almost out the door before being stopped by Naruto.

"Where are you guys going?" he chirruped.

_It figures he didn't see _**them**_ go_, Neji thought darkly.

"Out of my way, Uzumaki," Kankurou growled.

"But you didn't eat any of the great food! She really went all out!"

Kankurou scowled as a plate full of something slimy and pink was shoved into his face.

"What the hell is that?"

"Shrimp," Naruto said.

Kankurou smirked mentally, remembering back when he first met Naruto how he'd likened him to a shrimp, not really knowing what the small animal _looked_ like, per se. He'd seen pictures of them in books, but they'd been…alive. They weren't all…squishy.

"I know you don't have seafood in Suna, so you'd better eat up," Naruto prattled on. "You too, Neji."

"I eat seafood every day," he answered tonelessly. Sorely tempted to use Byakugan to see exactly what Tenten was up to, he wished that Naruto would get out of the damned _way_.

"But this is FREE." Naruto reiterated, looking at Neji as if his eyes had suddenly turned green.

Neji was torn between shoving his way past Naruto and simply submitting so he could leave sooner. He didn't even like shrimp that much but he picked one up off the tray before sidestepping Naruto smoothly. Kankurou moved forward, stopped by the tray of shrimp. Sighing, rolling his eyes, and cracking his jaw, he grabbed one too, plucking it in his mouth as he pushed Naruto out of his way.

"Man, what do you think is wrong with those two?" Naruto asked, blue eyes squinting after them in a scowl.

"They're idiot men," Izari offered as if that explained everything.

Naruto looked at her, puzzled.

"I'll tell you what…neither of them would be so dense if they had a normal childhood," Izari said, shrugging. She glanced over at Lee and Jou, who were laughing and looking over Lee's gifts together.

"I don't know how normal it is for a ninja to have a family growing up, at least one that acts like _that_," Temari said, pointing to the siblings who were completely oblivious to what was going on around them.

"Then I guess they're just fortunate," Izari said with a small smile. "Anyway, your brother's not going to pull some asshole move down there, is he?"

Temari frowned, not liking a stranger implying her brother couldn't control himself…even though she really had a good point. Still, familial pride won over.

"Of course not; Kankurou isn't going to do anything stupid."

**-O-**

"You've been practicing," Tenten accused Shikamaru halfway through their second song. "When I caught you hopping around the other day it wasn't because you banged your knee on the coffee table."

"You can't prove that," Shikamaru said with a lazy grin. "And if you're going to complain, I'll just leave."

"Not as drunk as you are and I am, you won't," Tenten countered. "We're both way too comfortably smashed to leave…just like your hands are way too comfortable on my waist to leave."

"That's true," Shikamaru admitted. As the song changed, he visibly perked up. "I love this song."

Tenten laughed. "Wow, you really are drunk."

"Seriously, though, Ino made me watch the video for this one over and over," Shikamaru said solemnly. "I know every single step."

"You're kidding," Tenten laughed. "This was a hit when we were like, fourteen. You still remember it all?"

"I'm a genius, remember?" Shikamaru reminded her, staring pointedly to where his feet were perfectly executing the dance moves.

"I am not getting out-danced by you again," Tenten said. "Besides, that Izari girl is here tonight. She's going to get pissed if you draw too much attention to yourself. She's quite competitive and she's quite good. It was pure nerve, last time. Nerve, and luck. You're not going to win again."

"I'll win again, and we'll snag another trophy and we'll show that girl who's really got the better ass," Shikamaru said seriously.

Tenten laughed. "I hope I remember all of this tomorrow. Better yet, I hope _you_ remember this tomorrow."

"Then let's make it something worth remembering," Shikamaru said with a shrug, hands slipping down to her hips. "I figure when Ino and I start up tomorrow it'll be with a bang."

"Yeah, her banging your head against a table when she finds out how we're acting," Tenten said, her hips grinding against his.

"Eh, she'd find a reason to anyway," Shikamaru said. "But she'll always nurse me back to health afterwards."

"Look, there's Izari, she's coming down here to dance," Tenten said, watching the leggy blonde descend the stairs. "Shikamaru, you're going to get beaten into the ground."

"Not if you're my partner," he said.

"Yeah, but I don't want to draw TOO much attention to ourselves," Tenten said, glancing around. "I just remembered how Kankurou looked…I don't think he's happy with me."

"You didn't seem upset that Neji didn't look very pleased."

"He's an ass, I don't care if he's angry," Tenten snapped.

"That's probably not the best attitude to be having, at least when it comes to my welfare," Shikamaru pointed out. "Oh well, if we move towards the center…shit, he can see through walls, I doubt moving up front will make it any harder for him to see us carry on…My ass is toast anyway. I say at this point, let's screw it."

Tenten smiled. _I know I'm not acting like myself and Shikamaru **definitely** isn't acting like himself, but I just want a reaction, damn it. He really, really hurt my feelings when I found out he was going with Sakura…UGH. He doesn't have any right to get mad at me if I just want to mess around. I'm not doing anything that bad. Shikamaru and I aren't even attached right now!_

Tenten grabbed Shikamaru's wrist and pulled him towards the middle of the dance floor. She put it down that coincidence, _not_ fate, had made the deejay put on "I've Thrown My Caution to the Wind," yet another Green Dragon classic from their early career. Izari occasionally put out a dance hit, but most of their work had begun to mellow.

Izari watched the two of them, eyes thoughtful. _I'm going to need a partner for this one…_

"Lee, come here, please," she said quickly.

"Yeah?"

"Will you dance with me?" Izari asked.

Temari snorted. _Lee…dance like **that?** There's no way she can get him to…_

"Unless you don't think you can do it…" Izari trailed off innocently. "I understand. It's really difficult, so maybe I'll just—"

Izari smiled triumphantly at Temari (whose doubt had been fairly obvious) as Lee practically carried her towards the dance floor.

_Well…I never have seen him turn down a challenge,_ Temari tried to rationalize. She watched Izari teach Lee how to dance to the song; she was actually quite good and very patient. She wasn't trying to make him uncomfortable or inadequate and seemed to work with his enthusiasm. The steps weren't hard and Lee caught on fairly quickly. He wasn't as naturally skilled as Shikamaru seemed to be, she noticed with a frown, but he wasn't bad by any stretch.

Temari felt a twist when she thought of Shikamaru, but knew it wasn't the end of the world. While it didn't make it any easier to see him like this, she was more worried about her brother than herself. At least she knew she could keep it together, whereas Kankurou and Neji were standing at the far wall of the teahouse, about ten feet apart and feeding off of each others' animosity towards Shikamaru, Tenten, and each other.

"I hope he doesn't do anything stupid," Jou said beside her. "He's already hurt her very badly and if he pulls something tonight it's just going to push them back."

"Hm?" Temari raised her eyebrow at the shorter girl. She was standing there, in the middle of the teahouse, holding a small plate with shrimp.

"I'm _hungry_," she said, brushing off Temari's look. "Try a shrimp."

Temari started. "Excuse me?"

"Try a shrimp, they're good, I promise," Jou repeated.

Making a face, Temari decided that protesting wasn't worth it and picked up the slimy thing and ate it quickly. The taste was okay, but the texture was appalling.

"You like those?" she asked skeptically.

"Yep. Seafood is my favorite."

"I thought girls like chocolate," Temari said flippantly.

"I'm allergic to most of it," Jou said.

"That sucks," Temari said, clapping a hand over her mouth when she realized how thoughtless it was.

Jou laughed. "Don't worry. I said most, not all. Izari found me a brand that doesn't make me break out in hives."

"I'll bet testing them all out was fun," Temari said dryly.

"Actually, Izari had this complex study she was doing with cross-checking ingredients and everything…I don't know, it went way over my head and Izari likes doing weird science-y things like that. She offered; she wanted to do it, really."

"That's really weird."

"Yeah, well, she's weird, but she's smart," Jou said proudly.

"You two seem very close," Temari commented. "It's kind of odd, seeing as how you're very different."

"Eh, I never thought about it like that," Jou said with a shrug. "Izari is just Izari…that's all. Why complicate it?"

Temari snorted. _She's halfway to being a simpleton, just like her brother who I'm pretty sure is already there, _she thought. _At least she's not a social retard like those two idiot men over there._

**-O-**

"Are you going to worry over them all night?" Gaara asked Sakura, who was glancing over at Kankurou and Neji warily. "They're grown men."

"They're idiots, though," Sakura muttered.

"Why did you come here with one of them, then?" Gaara asked her.

"I don't know, I just wanted to go with someone and I ran into Neji," Sakura said. "I didn't know it would end up like this."

"It's Neji's fault for going with you, because Tenten would never act this way otherwise," Gaara said.

"Yeah, that's true," Sakura admitted. "Ino's going to have a fit when she hears about this."

"And you're going to be the one who tells her, I'm assuming?" Gaara asked needlessly.

"Of course, this is a hell of a night," Sakura crowed.

"How can you two be friends if you like to make her mad?"

"Eh, she gets over it quickly," Sakura said. "And she _likes_ being mad."

Gaara had to concede that there was no evidence he'd ever seen that would be able to refute this. He didn't know her all that well, but every time he'd seen her she'd been functioning at some degree of pissed off.

"I don't think Ino's going to believe any of this," Sakura said after a moment of watching Shikamaru and Tenten. "It's a wonder one of those two guys just doesn't go up there and punch him."

**-O-**

_It's a wonder I don't go up there and punch him_, Kankurou thought irritably, wanting very much to wipe that silly smile of Shikamaru's face. _He screws with Temari's feelings and now he puts the moves on my ex? Damn it, I'm going to kick his ass if he does one more thing to piss me off tonight._

_I can't believe she's acting like this,_ Neji seethed. _She's acting like a whore._

At the end of the song, he saw Tenten and Shikamaru collapse in a fit of drunken giggles. Shikamaru's head fell against her shoulder and he gave her a quick peck on the throat.

"That son of a bitch," Kankurou growled next to him, starting forward. He stalked past dancing couples until he reached Tenten and Shikamaru. Completely without preface, he punched Shikamaru right in the head. Having a thirty pound disadvantage (and a fairly high blood alcohol content), Nara went down like a sack of bricks.

"Kankurou!" Tenten was livid. She turned on him fiercely. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" he asked indignantly. "Try what's wrong with you!"

"You're acting like an idiot!" Tenten hissed.

"You're acting like a whore!" Kankurou countered hotly. He regretted it instantly, but it wasn't enough to take back what he'd said.

Neji was there in an instant. "Don't call her that."

"You were thinking it too," Kankurou snapped irritably. "I could see it in your creepy white eyes."

"You're acting like a child," Neji told him.

"You're acting like a child," Kankurou repeated, "whose favorite little plaything's been stolen from him. You don't really care about her."

Tenten stepped forward to break the two apart but managed to get nailed right in the eye by Neji's fist. Neji stiffened; she'd gotten in the way but that wasn't what mattered now.

Kankurou stared at Tenten in shock, before glaring at Neji. "You son of a bitch!"

Kankurou threw himself at Neji, conveniently forgetting that Neji had considerable taijutsu skills and he had none. Tenten didn't know if this mattered now; the two weren't fighting pretty. It was a brawl, pure and simple.

"I can't fucking believe it, those two _assholes_," Izari said, stepping out of the circle that surrounded the two men. She performed a jutsu that Tenten wasn't familiar with which actually struck both Kankurou and Neji with a bolt of what appeared to be electricity. It didn't do any damage but stunned them both long enough for her to grab them and drag them towards the door.

**TBC**

_**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know it's a cliffhanger, but at least I updated. I encourage everyone to leave a signed review so I can address any questions or comments you have. I want to reiterate that this is a Nejiten AND a Sand sibling fic, so the focus is split. My ideas have recently spiraled out of control and it's going to be a lot longer than I anticipated originally. Nejiten and the Sand siblings will still be featured prominently, don't worry. Please be nice if you decide to review _


	17. Justice

**Justice**

_Sonnie_

"What are you going to do, exactly?" Jou asked tentatively, eyeing the two men nervously.

"We just need a minute." Izari's smile was placid.

"Are they okay?" Temari demanded.

"Oh, they're _fine_," Izari said, a scary smile starting to form.

Temari really wasn't quite sure about this. She glanced down at where her brother lay motionless except for even breaths.

"Oh, he'll be okay in a bit," Izari assuaged, smiling broadly at Temari. "And I'll only be a minute, I promise!"

Grabbing a handful of Kakurou's hair, she kicked open the door and dragged her cargo outside.

**-O-**

"Are you okay, Tenten?" Lee asked her, pulling her away from the dance floor.

"Um, yeah, I just…"

"Here," Jou rushed over to her, biting her lip worriedly with her nearly-black irises bright with worry. Jou had ice cubs in her bare hands, cold water running from her numbing fingers; the sight was actually kind of humorous. Tenten blinked, reflexively holding out her hands, not quite sure to do except accept the ice she was offered. When she dropped a few, Jou bent down quickly and snapped them back up.

"Maybe you should try a cloth or something," Temari suggested dryly.

"Oh my god, you're right!" Jou gasped, quickly procuring a clean towel from the bartender, who looked completely unfazed by what had just happened.

"You're not a very good nurse, are you?" Temari commented dryly.

"Uh…not really," Jou admitted sheepishly as she attempted to wrap the ice cubes Tenten handed back. Temari grabbed them and wrapped the ice expertly, handing it to the brown-haired girl when she was done. Tenten had denied any treatment from Sakura, not surprisingly.

"Jou," Temari addressed in a low voice.

Jou's feigned innocence wasn't terribly convincing. "Huh?"

"Your friend isn't going to do anything stupid, is she?"

**-O-**

_That bitch had better not do anything stupid, _Kankurou thought darkly, trying desperately to gain some control over his muscles. It made him feel a little better than Neji looked equally uncomfortable. His body wasn't twitching as badly now, but his muscles were still suffering from painful spasms that prevented him from moving too much on his own. He managed to summon the strength to lean against the wall when Izari dragged him to his feet.

"Okay, we've established you're both assholes, but the question is, how do we fix that?" Izari's voice was light and airy, a contrast to the rest of her. A fine sheen of sweat had broken out across her forehead, barely visible in the fluorescent lighting outside.

_That one jutsu took that much out of her?_ Neji wondered. He knew she came from Lightning Country, Lee had told him that much, but from what he had gathered about her departure, she hadn't been a practicing ninja for over half a decade. He wasn't so surprised that a jutsu like that winded her.

"Burn in hell, Izari." Kankurou's dark eyes were narrowed as he glared at her.

"This isn't about me, it's about you. Just like what happened in there wasn't about Tenten, it was still all about **you**. If any of you had any kind of _mature_ feelings for her you wouldn't have acted the way you did. Sure, you got pissed off at that skinny dude, but from the look of that blonde girl he's going with when I've seen her around town, that punch you gave him is going to be a joke."

Kankurou mentally agreed. Ino was scarier than his sister, he'd concluded. Not in that she had a temper, but that she could be equally nice; the discrepancy freaked him out. Ino was multiple personalities and a _half_.

"Alright then, let's start with you," Izari whirled on Neji, pointing a long, spidery digit in his face. White eyes stared at her impassively.

"You've got your head so far up your ass that even Byakugan can't see through your own shit. Kankurou's right; you treat her like a plaything. If you care about her at all, you've got to learn that you have responsibilities to her too. It isn't all about how _she_ makes _you_ feel, you should really start caring how _you_ make _her_ feel."

"What gives you the right to lecture me?"

"Because right now you're getting a crash-course in the school of hard knocks, and _I'm not taking any shit from you_." Said with such force and authority, Neji glared icily but said nothing. Perhaps it was the fact she raised both hands in preparation for another lesson in pain, or he was simply too taciturn to argue. She had the sneaking suspicion that he wanted to see how far she was willing to go.

"Ninja skills don't work for everything and fail to take into account that once in awhile, you might need to socially interact with other people," Izari informed him. "I know all about growing up in a messed up family and let me tell you, it screws you up so badly that you don't even know how to _act_. Remember, Tenten isn't a member of your precious clan. She isn't _obligated_ to stay in your life if you piss her off."

"And you," Izari turned to Kankurou, "have to learn that being second isn't the end of the world. Yeah, it's not the best feeling there is, but get over it. From what I can tell, you've still got it pretty good with her…it hasn't gotten too awkward, though after tonight, I'd say you have a fair chance at ruining that."

"Easier said than done," Kankurou snapped.

"Yes, but you learn to take what you can get," Izari said flippantly.

Kankurou smirked. "Are you saying that you're second best to someone? Now how does that feel?"

"I've always been second-best to someone," she said serenely. "Jou is a better guitar player. Mika sings better than I can. For heaven's sake, I'm the ugly one in my family."

_That's gotta be an exaggeration,_ Kankurou thought critically.

"Since we're on the subject of family, I hope they aren't too terribly embarrassed by your completely boorish behavior. That's going to look real great when your brother becomes Kazekage again."

_How does she— _

Kankurou knew the information wasn't exactly classified, but it wasn't something a Konoha civilian would ever know. His mind was racing…the only way she'd know something like that was because she was talking to Lee, one of only five or six Konoha ninjas to be regularly visit Suna for official reasons. Why on Earth would Izari ever ask Lee questions about Gaara? He didn't affect her at all.

_Gaara had the demon sealed inside him again after Akatsuki was defeated, that much is common knowledge, but the fact she figured out he did it so he'd be powerful enough to be Kazekage again is not. Most people just figured after the demon was released it needed to be sealed up again. Negotiations had been finalized; Gaara would resume the position of Kazekage in less than a month. The official announcement hasn't even been made yet…_

"How can any person act so irresponsibly when their family is so prominent?" Izari's question jarred him back to reality. He found he didn't have an answer. "WHAT were you thinking, honestly? The soon-to-be Kazekage's brother should be able to behave himself and exercise good judgment so as not to be a liability."

Kankurou was about to angrily object, but Izari pressed on.

"Not to mention that poor girl is mortified beyond belief," Izari reminded them of Tenten's plight. "You conveniently forgot that this night IS NOT ABOUT YOU. I don't care if you both lost the girl of your dreams or you broke a nail, you came here tonight in honor of Lee's birthday. You didn't spend one minute thinking about him, beyond you both getting pissed off because at least one person in this village isn't dysfunctional when it comes to relationships. Personally, for starters, I suggest getting your ass back in there and apologizing to Tenten, Shikamaru, and LEE, not to mention poor Jou who's probably on the verge of a brain hemorrhage right now."

Neji set his jaw but left silently. Kankurou went to do the same, but Izari's hand stopped him.

"Hey…I saw Jou's cable bill."

"Don't get on my case about that kind of stuff. I heard you in there; you read them too!"

"I read the series, but I don't _watch_ it. I mean, the movies are mediocre at best. _Onsen Mischief_ was premiering on cable that night. Just like a man to go after the big-name movie and overlook the great amateur film. I mean, _Onsen Mischief_ is a **_masterpiece_**."

Kankurou blinked.

_This girl is dead serious…_

She'd just spent a good ten minutes bitching him out and THAT was what she ended on. Kankurou rolled his eyes before walking inside. Women.

_There's no way this night is getting any worse._

**-O-**

Kankurou felt a breeze brush by him on the way back in, realizing that he actually knew the cause of this anomaly—Inuzuka Kiba. Dog boy had just arrived, in rather hyper spirits as usual.

"Dude, I'm totally sorry I didn't come sooner, but I just got back from a mission," Kiba explained hurriedly, loosely grinning around heavy breaths. "Anyways, I didn't get the chance to buy you anything, so I just talked with the owner on the way in and worked out something cool. You'll get it later."

"Thanks," Lee said cheerfully, sort of distracted by Neji storming past him to the room he'd vacated earlier. It was fairly obvious he was just grabbing his coat so he could leave.

"Wow, your sister's friend is a stone cold fox," Kiba said brightly, nodding to where Izari was squeezing out a cloth soaked in cold water over Shikamaru's head. He woke instantly, grumbling a long string of curses.

"You think so?" Lee shrugged. "I never really thought about her like that."

"How could you NOT think about her like that?" Kiba asked, obviously shocked. "Think she'd go out with me? Maybe a dance or something, at the very least…"

"Kiba, I don't think this is a good time to ask her that kind of thing," Lee suggested helpfully.

"In a few minutes then?" Kiba quipped.

Lee frowned, all notions of lofty speech forgotten. "Actually, it's never really a good time for that. I've spent a lot of time with her and…uh, she…um, really doesn't like to be hit on…_at all_."

Kiba looked thoughtful. "Okay," he said finally. Lee looked very relieved.

"I'll just ask your sister then."

Lee opened his mouth to protest but Kiba was already gone, charming a half-convinced, half-hesitant Jou onto the dance floor. He must have said something to embarrass her a little; her braid shook and she covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a giggle.

"Actually, I haven't danced to this one in a long time," Jou told him. "And I've never been that great a dancer…"

"Aw, don't worry about it," Kiba assured her, pulling her into the crowd. "You know all the steps, right?"

"Yeah, but I—" Jou gasped as Kiba started leading her through the steps. Dark eyes wide with trepidation, she narrowly missed getting her feet stepped on.

"We're just getting started," Kiba announced gamely.

"We are?" she squeaked.

Jou shot Izari a deer-in-the-headlights look before she was whisked further away.

"Um…is she going to be alright?" Temari asked after a moment.

"Jou's a nice dancer," Mika said firmly.

Izari glanced over to where she'd just stepped on Kiba's foot. "…Well, at least she enjoys herself when she does it," Izari said eventually as they both laughed it off. "Wanna hit the dance floor with me again, Lee? You were starting to get the hang of it."

"Err…I don't know…" Lee looked doubtful and extremely hesitant.

"Why don't _you_ two," Lee's face was resigned and Temari's mouth opened in protest as the pair was nudged towards the dance floor by Izari, "go off and dance? The steps aren't too hard for this one."

"But I—"

"—Can't dance?" Izari finished. "Eh, just move around a lot. Put your hips into it. Nobody's going to know the difference, not even Lee."

With a little wave, Izari bid Temari a brief farewell as the pair vanished into the dancing mass on the dance floor. Izari felt a twinge of guilt; Temari was probably a very good dancer but didn't like being put on the spot. The whole social situation had to be rather awkward for her and Izari hadn't made it any better.

"Why'd you do that?" Kankurou asked her sharply.

Izari blinked. "Well…to tell you the truth…I _wanted to dance with this guy_," she said quickly, and before he could say a word, she had grabbed Shikamaru and pulled him off the stool. He found himself on the dance floor, within the clutches of yet another scary blonde. He must have realized he wasn't going to get away because he started to really get into it by the middle of the second song. He was dancing differently than before; his coordination was better and he kept his hands to himself.

Pissed off as he was, Kankurou had to admit that Izari was gorgeous. Tempting, but in the way that was simply asking for trouble. Girls like that were used to being treated like pieces of meat and got quite defensive around aggressive men. He wagered Shikamaru knew that too, which was why his hands were behaving themselves.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Kankurou managed to suppress the awful start his brother's gravely voice had on him out of the blue.

"No, not really," Kankurou admitted. "They're too damned happy. Everyone."

"Yes."

Kankurou glanced sideways at his brother. "So…thinking about dancing too?"

Not too terribly long ago a comment like that would have incurred wrath. Gaara simply ignored him.

"Heh, Lee can actually kind of dance," Kankurou chuckled.

"Unfortunately, Temari cannot," Gaara observed, a wry note in his voice at the look of concentration on his sister's face.

**-O-**

"That really wasn't the kind of thing I was expecting from you," Shikamaru told Izari seriously.

"Just answer the question," she urged.

Shikamaru gave her a dark look. There was no way he could bluff his way out, she knew for sure. "I don't even see how you know about that. The mission is classified."

"All you need to say is yes or no," Izari told him. "Please, it's important."

"It's a matter of Konoha safety; I can't tell you either way. Security will be so tight you'll never be able to see _anyone_ that attends."

"Jou will be there on business, I will go with her and see for myself."

"Jou is a musician and wouldn't have any _reason_ to go there."

"She's judging a recital and will be staying in the same hotel."

"Where are you getting your information?" Shikamaru demanded in a low voice. "Not Lee, I hope."

"I _would never use my best friend's brother like that_," Izari hissed. "Besides, he would never tell me anything willingly and I'm not much of an interrogator. I'm more than capable of gathering intelligence on my own and my intentions will not interfere with Konoha's best interests."

"If you go up there with Jou-san you'll put her in danger by proxy," Shikamaru told her.

"If I go anywhere with her I do the same thing; she's well aware of the risk."

"I guess that carting that giant fan around gives you strength, but not grace," Izari remarked loudly as she watched Temari and Lee suffer through another dance. Temari had a lot of potential, but she lacked formal instruction and was uncomfortable in a room of strangers. Upon reflection, though, Izari wasn't sure her dance partner was much better. After the earlier excitement combined with the current rate of alcohol he'd been imbibing, Izari was willing to bet he'd be carried out of the club later.

"At any rate, Temari's not to be messed with," Shikamaru noted miserably.

"I think your girlfriend's pretty scary too," Izari said fairly.

Shikamaru's face darkened. "You have no idea."

"NARA SHIKAMARU!"

"Okay, I think you will now," Shikamaru said quickly, moving rather speedily despite his inebriated condition. He was attempting to stumble further into the crowd with no avail.

"**NARA SHIKAMARU, YOU'RE A _DEAD_ MAN!"**

The room went silent. The DJ stopped the music, everyone stopped dancing, and Shikamaru was pretty sure his heart stopped beating. Izari smiled broadly at the approach of Yamanaka Ino, knowing it was rather perverse to do so. It was just too damned funny _not_ to laugh at; Ino had already missed the drama with Tenten and was super pissed…what would she do _after_ she found out about it?

"Shikamaru, I leave you alone for one night and you're all over this blonde…_tramp_…like I'm six feet under!"

"Ino…"

"Don't 'Ino' me! You can't keep away from blonde women, can you? You're all about blondes, Shikamaru. It's a good thing you have girls like Tenten around to keep an eye on you and make sure you behave."

Izari accidentally let a chuckle slip before admirably erasing every trace of mirth on her face.

"What's so funny?" Ino demanded.

"Nothing, really," Izari told her straight-faced, "except that he didn't touch me once all night."

"Really?" Ino asked suspiciously, glancing at Shikamaru, who appeared too petrified to move.

"Yeah, he's behaved very admirably towards me all evening," Izari expressed sweetly. "Your boyfriend is quite a catch; a great dancer and a perfect gentleman!"

Somewhat deflated, Ino blinked. "Alright…I'm going to go say hi to Lee…then we're _both_ leaving," Ino stated firmly, stalking off. Izari got the impression that she'd almost wanted a reason to be mad.

"Uh…why didn't you rat me out?" Shikamaru asked when she was gone, eyeing Ino warily from across the room as the music began to pick back up.

"You honestly thought I'd get you in trouble?" Izari chuckled sweetly. "Lighten up. I'm just messing with you. And the way I figure it, that pink-haired girl will tell her anyway."

"Huh?" Shikamaru paled.

"Good luck with that," Izari said pleasantly, slapping him on the back. "Here she comes."

"Let's go, Shikamaru," Ino said distantly.

"Bye now!"

Izari's sweet little wave was met with a very big scowl, but he was allowing himself to be dragged away without protest. He looked absolutely miserable. Kankurou was almost disappointed; he knew it wasn't exactly a good thing that he wanted to see the skinny Jounin got his ass kicked, but _still_. It would make this awful night a wee bit better, if only by providing a moment's entertainment.

"Wow…I was expecting a scene," Sakura muttered, a note of disappointment in her voice.

Gaara glanced at her sideways. "You mean, you _wanted_ one."

Sakura shrugged, a small, sheepish smile on her face. "Sure, it's Ino."

Gaara wondered exactly what was so appealing about freaking out a spaz; Naruto was annoying at minimal stimuli…flat out monstrous when he was pissed off. While not a jinchuuriki, Ino was no doubt an equal pain to suffer through when she was on a rampage, if only because she was so goddamned LOUD.

"Besides, you wanted a scene, too," Sakura mumbled petulantly.

"Me?"

"No, your brother," Sakura corrected, smirking at Kankurou, who shrugged.

"I could have done with a little excitement, truthfully," Kankurou admitted.

"I was actually hoping this evening would wind down," Izari muttered, having quickly vacating the dance floor when Shikamaru left.

"Oh really?" Kankurou was skeptical.

"Yeah," Izari admitted. She ordered a drink and took a tiny sip before pausing. "Damn."

Kankurou watched as her eyes narrowed, following the progress of a tall, heavy-set man who looked to be in his early thirties. It didn't take shinobi skills to determine this guy was rich. The guy spotted Izari, then Jou (who was further down the bar and still talking to Tenten). He looked like he was about to walk over until Izari slammed her drink down and stood. Hesitating, the man walked away.

_That's right, you son of a bitch, you keep walking,_ Izari thought darkly. She glared after him until he was out of sight, disappearing into a private V.I.P. room.

"Who's that guy?" Kankurou asked.

"Someone who's not going to stay the hell away once he figures out I'm practically on fighting probation and I can't break his neck in six places."

Not expecting that answer, Kankurou backed off suddenly. Looking guilty, Izari sighed.

"Look…I'm sorry for getting on your case earlier, but I don't want this evening ruined for Jou and Lee," she said suddenly. "You understand that, right?"

Kankurou looked at her funny. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Izari nodded shortly before standing up from the barstool. She approached Mika, something he found highly unusual given their relationship, and whispered something in her ear. Mika glanced around, then disappeared in the dance floor crowd.

Kankurou glanced up at Gaara, who had witnessed everything. They both knew something weird was going on but not much beyond that. He shrugged; it wasn't _his_ problem.

"Yeah, check it out!" Kiba's distinctive voice grated Kankurou's nerves but he turned around anyway. Inuzuka was parading around with what had to be the most ridiculously ornate pitcher of _something_ Kankurou had ever seen. "A giant version of the house special!"

"…It's green," Gaara said after a pause, eyes assessing it distastefully.

"You don't suppose that's alcoholic, do you?" Izari asked tonelessly, reappearing to his left. She tossed her hair. "I mean, Kiba's not that stupid, is he?"

Kankurou blinked. "Uh…well…" He watched in amazement as Izari sprinted to the other end of the bar. She was pretty fast for a girl in heels.

"LEE, WAIT!" Izari's face fell as she skidded to a halt in front of Lee as he slammed the glass down. He'd drained the entire contents in the blink of an eye.

"Are you okay, Izari?" Lee asked her cautiously.

"Yeah, sure," Izari answered, eyeing him warily for any signs of him bursting into Mr. Drunken Master. She backed away slowly, still glancing behind her every half second.

Lee took a deep breath. "That was a splendid creation, Kiba! Your own concoction, you said?"

"Yeah, man, I asked him to mix up every energy drink in the house," Kiba replied. "That stuff will keep a normal person up for a week. I hope it works."

_What a great idea,_ Kankurou thought dismally. _Give the high-energy drink to the high-energy moron and see what happens next._

Beside him, Izari blinked rapidly and she sit down cautiously. "Well. That was anti-climactic. Thank God. The last thing anyone needs is Lee trashing an expensive tea house with the Drunken Fist."

"Huh."

Izari was visibly relieved. Swiveling to face forward, it wasn't long before she was accosted by a group guys. Kankurou surmised that some men just couldn't read body language because she _clearly_ wasn't interested.

"Hey, baby," one guy said, plunking himself down beside her.

Izari sighed and looked up. "What do you want?" she asked listlessly.

"It's pretty obvious, don't you think?"

_And they say that chivalry is dead,_ Kankurou thought dryly.

"Enlighten me," Izari said flatly; her tone made it rather clear she didn't care to be.

"You know you want some of this," the man said, gesturing to his pants.

"I'm a bit young to be carrying a magnifying glass when I go out in public," Izari said tonelessly, waving her hand in dismissal.

"There are better things a girl should be doing with her mouth besides talking," he snapped at her irately when she turned her back to him.

"I choke on small objects." Izari smiled sweetly, not even glancing up.

"You think you're so clever, don't you, you rich little bitch?"

"I do. It's a shame public education fails the vast majority of _poor_ people." Izari gave him a pointed look. "Now piss off before I call security over here."

_Security?_ Kankurou thought. _I thought she **liked** to fight. She was more than happy, earlier, although she didn't really have anything to do with Neji and me…I guess she really isn't trying to start stuff tonight._

"Bitch."

"Oh, you're breaking my heart," Izari muttered as the guy stalked off. After waiting a few minutes, she got up and scanned the room briefly. She glanced over to where Jou and Mika were chatting. Kankurou was getting the impression Mika was anxious to leave, as was Izari.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Kankurou groaned suddenly. Several pairs of wide eyes focused on him and he wasn't terribly surprised when Izari cuffed him sharply against the back of his head. He was, however, taken aback when she sat down next to him, much closer than he ever expected. Her long, thin arm was slung around his shoulder, ensuring proximity and privacy.

"That," Izari motioned discreetly to the rich guy he'd been scoping out a few minutes earlier, "is our ex-manager. He currently has the rights to over three-fourths of our songs since we broke contract with him. Because we did, he's threatening to take legal action against us, and to pay for it, it's pretty likely that Jou will have to sell the rights to the rest of her songs. It's pretty sad, spending years of your life writing songs and because your name on a piece of paper ties you to a dishonest man, you 'owe' them all to him."

"Shinobi owe their allegiance to their Kage," Kankurou shrugged. "I'm not that shocked by it."

"That's a choice every ninja makes, knowing what could happen," Izari said. "Jou spent half the time on the road cleaning up after his mistakes, making sure we were provided for when it was his responsibility to look after things. And now…"

"Now _what_?"

"Now he's spreading a bunch of rumors around about her, just like he did when one of us pissed him off. He's getting us blacklisted from clubs, he's telling other musicians that she badmouthed them, and he's going to make sure that since she cut ties with him, she'll end up bankrupt. It's pretty bad. I mean, the poor girl just bought a _house_. She's trying to put down roots, trying to stay close to the only family she's got left."

"Is she going to be bankrupt?" Kankurou asked her quietly.

Izari looked genuinely, uncharacteristically distressed. "Yeah. She's going to sell the house in the next month or so. It isn't as if she can't make a living with her skills, but not in Konoha. She'd have to move somewhere else, since the lawsuit is forcing her to start over, fresh. She's not even allowed to perform her own songs, and the group is not permitted to perform anything together, ever."

"She's keeping it together really well, all things considered," Kankurou observed.

"She gets worked up very easily over little things," Izari commented, "but she didn't use to be this way. I think, in a way, this night was a grand diversion for her. Tomorrow, it's back to the real world; money problems, attempting to salvage our reputation, practically being forced to move away…She's poured everything into making this party a success, to make her last impression in Konoha _good_. And that's why I got on your case about starting a fight. Usually, other people's business is none of mine, but I just couldn't _stand_ that something was going to burst her bubble, not again. It's not like fighting tonight is going to resolve anything between you three. Fighting really doesn't resolve a whole lot."

Kankurou was tempted to retort before he realize she had said a very wise thing. And no matter how satisfying it would be to pummel Neji's face, it would just make Tenten more upset, and that was definitely not what he wanted. He gave her a funny look.

"Why do you like to fight so much?" he asked her suddenly.

Izari smiled. "I don't like to fight with people I actually _like_. Sometimes you just want beat people up when they deserve it."

"Like Neji."

"Well, your disagreement with him is a bit more complicated than punching the guy who feels you up in a bar or something," Izari shrugged, watching Lee make a beeline to the bathroom. She shook her head; he'd be peeing for five minutes straight, judging from the volume of liquid he'd just drank and all the junk they put in energy supplements. "But I guess the core concept is the same. 'He'll get what's coming to him' or something like that. I kind of like dispensing justice for the universe."

Kankurou couldn't help but smirk at her rather crooked grin. Even with all the fronts she put up, there was still something about her that he couldn't quite dislike, even when she was being cheeky.

"I just wish things were easy for once, you know?" Izari sighed tiredly. She straightened up when she saw their former manager making his way through the crowds towards Jou. Kankurou watched the walls come back up. There was something about that he thought was kind of a shame, even as he prepared himself to witness yet another conflict that night.

**-O-**

"Rock Jou."

Jou stiffened. Tenten saw her friend's face pale, but not in fear. There was a set to her features that resembled one facing combat, and facing it courageously. Her dark eyes flashed as she turned.

"Oyuma-san. Good evening."

"You've got some nerve, showing up in a place like this, especially after all the terrible things I heard you say about the owner's—"

"I don't know what you're talking about, though I'm sure this is merely the latest incident where I need to be reminded of the horrible things I've said about people I like. Tell me how that works again? Oh yes, _you make up lies_."

"Why would anyone believe that? You're just bitter because I'm taking all your money. I deserve more than money, putting up with you and your wretched band breaking contract with me. But that's what you get when you're unprofessional and you're _dishonest_."

Jou looked like she'd just been physically slapped. Her fingers digging into Tenten's arm prevented the shinobi from retaliating, but only just.

"You put us through hell," Jou said firmly. "What kind of professional would I be if I didn't act in the best interests of our group? Someone had to; you certainly weren't. You were anything but a competent manager to us."

Oyuma sneered.

"When I'm done squeezing every bit of money out of you, I'll make sure you never perform in a stage together again. No one will associate with you and you'll be blacklisted from every record company, recording studio, and venue. You should have stuck to what I wanted – pop music and skimpy outfits, because _that's_ the stuff that sells albums, not this crap you're writing now. All the work you put into the band will be completely meaningless, I'll see to that. I'll see you crawling on the ground, begging in the streets—"

Jou's eyes widened, but not at Oyuma's words. Kankurou's fist clocked him right in the nose. Oyuma went flying: glasses on the counter flew all over the place, sending alcohol everywhere. Blood was gushing from his nose as Kankurou shook his bruised knuckles gingerly.

"Well, that was fun," he smirked. "Hey, I'm doing a lot better than Hyuuga tonight. At least I punched someone I actually meant to hit."

His audience was a mixed bag. Jou's eyes were still disbelieving, Tenten was shaking her head at his comment, Izari was clearly torn between anger and laughter, and Sakura was punching the air enthusiastically. Kankurou's siblings were across the bar; he couldn't tell what they were thinking. He glanced over at the ruffled bar tender and started rummaging around in his pockets.

"Umm, put the rest on my tab?" Kankurou asked hopefully, handing over the meager amount he had on him. The bar tender rolled his eyes but accepted the money.

"I'm kind of bored now, let's say we cart all this loot back to your place?" Kankurou said breezily to Jou, still trying to figure out why he did what he just did. Granted, the guy had it coming, just not from him.

_I'm usually the one picking on people, not the idiot that sticks up for them,_ he thought. He saw Lee exiting the bathroom and watched half-out-of-it as Jou hurriedly explained what happened.

"I guess we have to get out of here," Tenten sighed, going upstairs to gather some of the gifts. She looked around for help. "Where the hell did Naruto go?"

"I'll help you," Sakura volunteered quickly, hoping at once to make amends and hurry everyone along.

"Mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" Izari growled, sidling up beside him.

"Just dispensing the justice of the universe," Kankurou shrugged.

Izari smiled. "All in the name of the universe," she repeated.

"Of course."

"Let's head back to Jou's place. I'm sure she'd make you anything at all that you want now. You might as well eat her out of house and home, for what it's worth."

Kankurou smiled. "I guess I'll just have to take her up on that, then."

Izari shook her head and sighed as she headed to the exit with Kankurou.

_**Author's Notes:** The night's not over yet! More Nejiten-ness soon, and major Nejiten-ness in a few chapters! I'm posting multiple chapters, and because I'm shameless, I'm asking you to review each one, not just a lump review at the end of them. I'm sorry I took so long, thanks for reading._


	18. Distance

**Distance**

_Sonnie_

"Well, I can't say I've been to many parties like that," Kankurou said breezily, cracking his knuckles. His siblings had decided that it would be good to keep a low profile and just head back to Jou's house instead of attempting to sneak into their expensive hotel at three in the morning after what happened. They were currently seated in her living room up their necks in free food.

"I can't believe you punched him," Temari said in disbelief, picking up a pack of granola bars and reading the ingredients before grimacing and putting it down.

"I can't believe you actually _hit_ him," Gaara muttered, looking for a bag of popcorn.

"Hey, I'm not a total lost cause in taijutsu," Kankurou said indignantly.

"That may be true, but you still suck," Temari snapped. Her expression softened as she took in the contents of the mug handed to her. "What is this stuff?"

"White hot chocolate," Izari answered, setting down a tray beside them containing two more mugs of the liquid. "Jou made it, so you know it's good."

This seemed to placate Temari, whose tentative sips were soon forgotten. "I can't believe Lee's running laps around Konoha at this hour."

"I can; you saw what he drank, right?" Izari shuddered. "Energy drinks are disgusting."

"Yet you drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes," Kankurou pointed out. He burnt his tongue on the hot chocolate and swore.

Izari shrugged sheepishly. "Honestly, smoking and drinking are only very occasional vices, though in some circumstances nothing beats a good old-fashioned cigarette." She was about to continue further when the phone rang. She sighed. "Honestly, who calls at two thirty in the morning?"

Kankurou watched her purple fingernails glint as she leaned over and picked up the phone. Her irritability vanished when she heard the voice on the other end. All emotion left her face and she called rather curtly for Jou to come and get the phone. Jou had an armful of pillows and blankets in her hand, no doubt for her bandmates downstairs.

"Hello?" A flurry of bedding hit the ground as she picked up the phone.

Gaara watched her emotional state change very rapidly and suddenly over the next thirty seconds. Cheer, surprise, concern, shock, and resignation all flitted across her face. He wasn't an expert when it came to emotions, but very rarely had he encountered someone so easy and willing to be read. Jou nodded numbly, muttering a quick goodbye and tossing the phone over to Izari, who hung it up.

"I need to go downstairs and finish setting things up for the girls," Jou told her guests softly. "Don't worry, they won't bother you. They're probably all asleep already. Towels are in the bathroom if you want to freshen up, there's food in the fridge, and linens in the closet." Gathering up the items she dropped, she headed downstairs without another word.

"Is she okay?" Temari asked after a moment.

Izari glanced up from where she was still eyeing the phone blankly. "Just some news from Snow Country," she said stiffly, rummaging in her pockets. "I'll be in the kitchen."

"I'm taking a shower," Temari announced, eyeing the open bathroom door.

"Taking advantage of being in Fire Country?" Gaara gave her a look.

Temari shrugged. "Why not?"

"Don't drown in there," Kankurou advised her gravely.

"Twit."

Kankurou threw a pillow at her as she got up. He half expected her catch it, but it caught her in the back. She turned to pick it up, her movements really sluggish.

"Hey Temari, are you okay?" Kankurou got up, hoping she wasn't faking him out so she could smack him.

"I feel really sick all of the sudden," Temari groaned, bolting to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut behind her.

"What's going on out here?" Izari demanded, rounding the corner. Her yellow-rubber glove-clad hands were on her hips and she held a sponge and scrub brush.

"Temari got really sick all of the sudden," Kankurou told her. "It sounds like she's hugging a toilet."

Izari blinked. "Did she eat anything at the party?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm not sure," Kankurou admitted.

Izari was downstairs and back in the living room with Jou in under thirty seconds.

"Did she eat anything at the party?"

"Umm…I gave her a shrimp."

"That was over two hours ago," Gaara pointed out. "Any poison would have—"

"Poison?" Izari asked archly. "You think Jou tried to _poison_ your sister?"

Gaara was about to justify his statement automatically when he remembered the girl in question. He glanced over to where Jou was attempting to will open the locked bathroom door and conceded that perhaps poison was the wrong conclusion to jump to. "I suppose not."

Izari sighed. She walked over to the bathroom door (Jou hurried away, Gaara thought perhaps she knew her friend well enough to predict what was going to happen) and the blonde gave the door a hefty rap. The slab of wood shook in its hinges.

"Are you alright in there?" Izari bellowed. "I think I know what's wrong, just let me in." When she didn't hear a response, she sighed. "Please. I can help you."

The door creaked open and permitted Izari to slide inside. She closed the door behind her.

"Did you just kill my sister?" Kankurou threw a look at Jou, who paled. Her mouth hung open and she was about to sputter in protest when his heavy hand clapped her on the shoulder. It nearly knocked her off her feet.

"I was kidding," Kankurou told her. "You're really high-strung tonight."

"Well, it has been eventful, don't you think?" Jou said quietly. "I'm kind of glad you hit my manager."

"I'd be too – I've got diplomatic immunity," Kankurou smirked. Gaara rolled his eyes.

"Um, that's not really why, but I guess you're right."

"I figure anyone wishing evil upon Neji is worth sticking up for," Kankurou said gamely.

"I don't wish _evil_ upon him. Maybe I've wished that all of his pretty, long, shiny hair falls out, possibly in front of his uncle and the entire village of Hidden Leaf, but nothing worse than that."

Kankurou smiled. "You hit him, that's good enough for me."

"Tenten told me he knocked out three of your teeth and broke your nose." Gaara gave her a pointed look, the kind a teacher gives a student when they make a stupid mistake.

Jou shuffled her feet and looked down. "It's not the smartest thing I've done…but I don't abandon my friends and family. Ever," Jou finished, looking him in the eye.

"That's probably why you got stabbed when you were with Izari," Kankurou muttered.

"Perseverance and the will to protect those important to you make a person strong," Jou told him. "I'd do anything for the people I love."

"That's the honest truth."

Jou glanced up to where Izari's head was poking out of the bathroom.

"I was right; the shrimp was the culprit."

"But I had some too…" Kankurou was looking vaguely ill.

"But in this case it doesn't mean you'll be similarly infected. It's a food allergy, albeit a very mild case."

"It didn't feel mild to me," Temari's voice grumbled. Izari ducked back inside the bathroom and shut the door.

"One of my former students was allergic to shellfish. During his outbreak his skin broke out into hives, his face was so puffy his eyes swelled shut, and his airways seized up and he couldn't breathe. We were in a fancy restaurant and I had to perform an emergency tracheotomy with a drinking straw. Another thirty seconds and he would have suffocated."

"Mild it is," Temari muttered blankly as the mental images of the various symptoms danced through her head.

"Since your reaction wasn't that severe you'll probably be alright, but I can take you to the hospital if you'd like."

Temari frowned; she was more than capable of taking care of herself. "I'm fine, thanks."

"You'll probably feel like shit when you wake up, but it could be a lot worse," Izari reassured her. "I recommend that you take a shower and hit the sack."

"Doctor's orders?" Temari asked wryly.

"Well, I'm not a med nin anymore, but yeah, you could say that," Izari shrugged.

"You used to be a med nin?" Temari asked skeptically.

"Yeah, but that was ages ago during the war," Izari told her.

Temari did some quick math. "You were only eight years old then. At least if you're talking about the war between Hidden Cloud and Hidden Leaf"

Izari nodded. "The fighting was intense. My brother was made a chuunin when he was six."

_Like Hatake Kakashi_, Temari thought. "Impressive."

"Your village doesn't draft ninjas during times of war?"

"Not to the extent that I heard Lightning Country does," Temari said carefully.

Izari snorted. "The majority of my classmates, the ones that survived, were trained by their families before they could walk in various chakra exercises. By the time they were five, most were eligible to become genin. There is no academy in Hidden Cloud and a ninja's parents serve as instructors. During the war, there were no genins beyond the age of eight; we were either promoted or dead. Everyone was a chuunin before they were thirteen; I was a jounin by then."

"But the war was over by then." Temari pointed out. She was very attentive; since the war with Hidden Leaf, Lightning Country was living behind an iron curtain. There was barely any information that made it out, save whispers of civil war and brazen assassinations.

"No. There was a new war by this time," Izari said quietly. "We're always fighting. There's no time for grandiose examinations; the arrangements are simply too draining on our resources. All we do is train. I doubt we're much different, even after eight years."

"And you've been A.W.O.L. all this time?"

"I faced either death or exile, and chose the latter," Izari said. "Granted, the story is rather fantastic and long-winded, so I'll spare you the details and just say that if you're ever extremely bored and have a few hours to kill, I can tell you the tale."

Temari smiled wryly at the offer. "I think I'll pass tonight. A shower and a good eight hours sound great. Sign me up for a raincheck, though."

Izari smiled. "No problem."

Temari took a deep breath and got up, selecting a pair of towels from the shelf.

"You're not mad at Jou-chan, are you?"

"Why would I be mad at her?"

"She feels bad for making you try a shrimp."

Temari shrugged. "I don't think I can hold it against her," Temari admitted. "She's still a better cook than I am."

"Just don't try and kid her when she tries to apologize to her," Izari advised. "She'll think you're serious."

Temari smirked. "I kind of got that impression, but thanks for the tip."

**-O-**

Temari wasn't mad in the slightest, but figured she could milk the situation and at least sleep on a nice bed instead of a futon. Jou was more than happy to oblige, and an hour later, Temari was sound asleep in her room. Jou had settled on an armchair, letting Kankurou and Gaara sit on her couch. Izari was back in the kitchen, scrubbing at the burn marks and mentally keeping track of Lee's laps around Konoha when he passed by the house.

"Hey, is she asleep?" Kankurou asked, rising a bit from the couch and peering over his brother at Jou.

"She's been asleep for a few minutes, why?" Gaara asked.

"I'm hungry."

"It's nearly four in the morning."

"Your point?"

"I—" Gaara glanced askew at his brother. "Never mind."

"Eh, Izari's in the kitchen, I'll just tell her to get me something."

"She's not your servant."

Kankurou grinned. "That'd be pretty freaking sweet. It's the hot maid fantasy most guys have at some point."

"I thought you two were fighting with each other."

"I don't really think we stopped," Kankurou shrugged. Leaning back, he caught a glimpse of Izari bent over the oven.

Gaara followed his gaze and his head swiveled back to face his brother. "Didn't you and Tenten just break up?"

"Yeah, but it's been like a month," Kankurou said absently, craning his neck.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Something tells me this Izari woman is not the type to entertain your type of…attentions."

"She seems _exactly_ the type."

"Don't you think she tries a little too hard to give that impression?"

Kankurou narrowed his eyes. "That's awful sharp of you, noticing something subtle like that," he said suspiciously.

"It's a common tactic amongst spies to play down the threat they pose," Gaara said calmly. "Pretending to be loud and careless makes their targets lower our guard."

"And you think she's a spy?"

"Not necessarily, but it's obvious she was raised as a ninja, though she's got to be out of practice. I overheard her speaking to Temari in the bathroom. It's likely she hasn't practiced any ninja arts for over eight years."

Kankurou whistled. "That's probably about a third of her life. Unless she's got some magical bloodline she probably can't fight worth beans. Even after that move she pulled at the teahouse…I think she was winded. One move and she's feelin' the pain?"

"What you choose to pursue with her is your business, but watch yourself around her," Gaara advised gravely. "She's dangerous."

Kankurou rolled his eyes. "I think I can take her. At any rate, she's more interesting than anything on television," he told his brother. "And from talking with her tonight, I found out she's really not as bad as she pretends to be."

_Did he listen to anything I just said?_ Gaara thought dismally as his brother walked into the kitchen.

**-O-**

"Nice view."

From her position bent nearly double, Izari glared at him upside down and gave him the finger.

"It's a nicer view than anything you have to offer," she said sweetly.

"You should be careful or you'll hurt my feelings," Kankurou told her with mock seriousness.

"Gosh, we can't have that," Izari deadpanned, glancing past him at the flash of green that shot by. "Seventy-four."

"Huh?"

"Lee's seventy fourth lap. No wonder Kiba left the party so quickly after arriving; he knew I'd kick his ass for giving something so volatile to Lee. Aside from the fact energy drinks are incredibly bad for you, Lee's not going to be able to sleep for _days_."

"Glad we're leaving tomorrow, then. Well, at least Gaara and I are. Food allergy aside, Temari was going to stick around for a few days."

"Lucky you."

"I think so, yeah," Kankurou grinned. Izari did the same. He was struck again by how pretty she was. She wore a lot of makeup; not too much but enough to make him realize that she spent a great deal of time on her physical appearance. His scrutiny made her uncomfortable, which was fairly obvious when he heard her next question.

"Did you come all the way over here to stare at me, you halfwit?"

"I came over here for food," he said somewhat truthfully.

"Food? At this hour? You realize it's just going to sit in your stomach and eventually be stored as fat."

Kankurou blinked. "Actually, I can't say I really knew that, but thanks for sharing that comforting fact."

"I can tell just by looking at you that late-night snacking isn't really something you should be indulging in." With that, she turned on her heel and stepped out of the kitchen.

_Burn._ Kankurou was about to follow when he noticed Jou walking into the kitchen.

"Thank God, you'll feed me, won't you?"

Kankurou stared after her as she walked right past him, completely ignoring him. He'd be a little pissed off at most people, but in her case it was just plain weird. His next two attempts to attract her attention were similarly unsuccessful.

"Um, what's up with you?" Kankurou asked, staring at Jou as she pulled a whole pineapple out of the refrigerator.

"Move," Jou commanded, eyes fixed on the cutting board on the counter behind Kankurou. Seeing the huge knife in her hand, he complied automatically, watching as she very methodically, very slowly started to cut the fruit.

"You should say please next time," Kankurou joked, head tilting to the side in an effort to catch her expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jou mumbled, not even looking up.

"Are you messing with me?" Kankurou demanded.

"Sure."

Kankurou's eyes narrowed. "Well cut it out. It's not funny."

"Yeah."

"What is your problem?" Kankurou was starting to get irritated. _Is she laughing at me because she just saw me get shut down by Izari?_

"What are you doing?"

Kankurou registered his brother's voice at the doorway.

"She's acting all weird."

"As opposed to…?"

"Come here and try talking to her."

Gaara gave him a skeptical look and approached Jou, narrowly avoiding her knife as she turned suddenly, the cutting implement raised level with her chest. She stepped past him (almost right into him) and placed the knife very deliberately in the sink and proceeded to wash it as if there were no one in the room attempting to draw her attention.

"Jou."

The girl didn't acknowledge him at all, continuing to rinse the knife and wipe it dry. When she was done, she placed it back in the empty knife slot where it belonged. She pulled a fork out from the drawer and deposited the fruit in a bowl, taking it out to the living room and placing it on the table next to the sofa where Gaara had been sitting. She returned and began to rinse her cutting board.

"Jou, what are you doing?" Kankurou was starting to get unsettled. It was more than a little creepy, the way she moved and talked.

"Dishes."

"Yeah, I can see that, but why?"

"Dirty."

"Jou, what the hell—"

"What's up with you two?" Izari's eyes were darting back and forth to where Gaara and Kankurou were eyeing Jou suspiciously. "You haven't seen a sleepwalker before?"

"Wait, you mean she's _asleep_?" Kankurou asked in disbelief.

"If she wasn't than she wouldn't be a sleepwalker."

"But she's talking and walking and…cooking, sort of," Kankurou trailed off weakly.

"The first time I saw her do this Jou was talking to me for over fifteen minutes before I figured it out," Izari told him. "She can hold a poor excuse for a conversation but she's fairly unresponsive, I'd say. Somnambulism's funny like that." Izari waved her hand in front of Jou's eyes, which didn't blink involuntarily though they were half open.

"That's really creepy," Kankurou said finally.

"Oh, you should see some of the stuff she's done on tour," Izari waved off his discomfort. "She's prepared a five-course meal, started to repaint a bathroom, wandered out of the hotel and down the street half a mile away…It's a stress-triggered occurrence that I doubt will ever really go away. All that stuff that happened tonight…"

"How long has she been doing it?"

"Well, it really started to act up once Lee became a genin," Izari sighed. "It happened every night around Lee's chuunin prelim exams. She even had night terrors for a straight week after that fight with Gaara," Izari eyed the redhead pointedly before continuing. "Since then it's been on and off. It's been awhile since I saw her do it and I was honestly hoping she outgrew it, but I doubt she ever will if it's been going on this long." She paused before adding, "At least as long as Lee's a ninja on active duty."

"And you're sure she's asleep," Kankurou said flatly, waving his hand in front of her face just like Jou did, morbidly fascinated by her lack of response. He was about to poke her when Gaara grabbed his wrist.

"I heard you're not supposed to wake sleepwalkers."

Izari chuckled. "That's total bollocks. I say wake her ass up so she doesn't accidentally hurt herself or something. Once you wake her she'll go back to sleep normally after a bit. Unfortunately, she'll toss and turn until morning, talk in her sleep, et cetera. It's all very unpleasant business but I'd rather see that than wake up and find her outside on a cold night like this."

Izari positioned herself in front of Jou, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her firmly as she yelled her name. Jou's eyes widened and she gasped, her knees giving out.

"Izari?"

"You were sleepwalking again," Izari said calmly. "You should go crash in the living room. I'll check on the girls downstairs for you."

Jou nodded blankly as if still very distracted and wandered out of the kitchen. Her footing wasn't too steady. Izari followed her out; Kankurou's suspicions as to why were confirmed when Izari stood over her, making sure she settled herself on the chair and was actually going to attempt to sleep.

"Thanks, 'Zari," Jou mumbled sleepily.

"You're welcome, Jou-chan."

"'m sorry too, 'Zari."

"For what?"

"Sorry about your sensei."

Izari blinked in surprise. "Don't mention it," she managed finally. She took a deep breath. "Besides, he always had a soft spot for you; I know you loved him too."

"But you knew him longer," Jou said insistently, starting to become more alert. Izari stopped her shoulders before she got up.

"Let's talk about this some other time," Izari suggested, glancing at Kankurou. Gaara had returned to the couch and she didn't dare spare a look at him. "We've got company. I'll take care of them, but you should go to sleep."

Jou yawned. "M'kay. G'night, 'Zari."

"Goodnight, Jou-chan."

As if by magic, Jou was asleep in an instant. Izari tucked her in and began to clear the mugs and food away from the living room. Kankurou sat down next to his brother and sighed.

"Huh. I guess, technically speaking, you're responsible for her sleepwalking."

Gaara's green eyes slid to the side and glanced at his brother askew. "That was a long time ago. She'd be the first to say it."

Kankurou nodded numbly as Gaara frowned. _It certainly explained why she was so afraid of me when she first recognized me._

"I didn't know I terrified Lee so much during that match." Gaara's expression was as stony as ever, but Kankurou could tell, after a few years of really paying attention, that he was thinking. Kankurou wasn't the type to offer sympathy and his brother wasn't the type to accept it, but Gaara wasn't going to turn down objective input.

"Well…towards the end of the match Lee was in unimaginable pain. He had no way of knowing his sensei was going to save him, so his last thought before he lost consciousness was probably that he was going to die. If she can feel his emotions over distance as strongly as he says he can feel hers, she was probably overwhelmed by panic. And all of that fear and chaos one minute and the next, nothing, that's gotta scare you shitless. She probably thought you killed him. And when your life flashes before your eyes, you never do forget that."

Gaara knew what those kind of moments were like, when defeat was inevitable and imminent. He had been clinically dead; he'd experienced this incredible sense of emptiness and loneliness, a type of loneliness even more striking because not even the tanuki was with him. He knew what it was like to be invested in someone else so intimately, because he was similarly entrapped.

_I don't think we view the relationship in the same way,_ Gaara thought darkly, _and the nature of it is much different, but I wonder how much different my life would be if I had never crossed paths with the One-Tail. I took him back so I could be strong again, strong enough to defend Wind Country; I don't want him but I need him. _

Gaara looked over at Jou's face, troubled even in deep sleep. _I didn't know that I had such an influence over you. No wonder you're always trying to promote peace between me and your brother…if he is well than you are well._

"Do you think she does it out of self-preservation?" Gaara asked Kankurou suddenly.

"What?"

"She's always trying to protect the people she cares about," Gaara said impatiently. "Is it to prevent the guilt of failure? Or does she do it because if they feel bad then she'll feel bad?"

Kankurou looked at his brother intently. "You act like there's something wrong with that."

"It means that her desire to help them is motivated by personal gain. She's only helping them to ensure that they're well enough to keep her happy."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"…No, but it's a logical assumption. I do think she might try a little too hard to find affirmation, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it seems like standing up for her friends and family is kind of like her way of validating her worth in their lives. As someone who can't fight or offer useful abilities in that area, it's difficult to be useful to shinobi. Granted, there are plenty of things she can do that we can't, but they're not practical skills by any means."

"Except cooking," Kankurou noted seriously.

"She tries to fight and fails. An ninja she were to take on, even a genin, would easily defeat her."

"But she _tries_. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with finding validation in helping others. You can't, either, or you wouldn't admire that idiot Naruto so much for risking his neck for the people of this village so much, even when some of them hate him. Wasn't that how it was for you when you first became Kazekage? You had to prove yourself and you eventually won them over. But it was as much the effort as the act that did it."

"I still haven't won everyone over."

"And you're never going to," Kankurou said softly. "But you're definitely improving. I mean, when you were twelve, you viewed people's deaths as affirmation of your worth. Now it's your ability to help others that makes you valuable. You and Jou aren't that different." Kankurou blinked before hastily adding, "Well, you know."

If Gaara had a reply, it was cut off by Lee's dramatic entry through Jou's home. Chest heaving and sweat dripping, he gestured vaguely in Gaara's direction before collapsing on the sofa next to him. Kankurou scooted away as far as he could.

"Man, you're all wet."

"It started to rain half an hour ago."

"And you still ran?"

"A true shinobi doesn't let a little rain deter him!"

"Uh…you'll wake up your sister," Kankurou told him lamely in an attempt to cut the volume of his voice.

"But this is _urgent_!" Lee rasped. "Tsunade-sama requests that Gaara meet with her right away."

"At this hour?"

"She said as soon as possible."

"And she just happened to plant herself in your running path?" Kankurou's sarcasm had no effect on Lee.

"No, but one of her ANBU did."

Kankurou straightened up a bit. ANBU meant serious business. No wonder they didn't care about the hour: now meant _now_.

"I see." He got up and grabbed his gourd. Without even a backward glance he was out the door.

"Hey, wait up!" Kankurou rose to follow, but Lee shook his head. "Tsunade-sama said she wanted to meet with him alone, though she wants to meet with you tomorrow night."

Kankurou nodded. Even as a foreign shinobi that owed Konoha no direct compliance, they were still allies and if she requested a formal audience, he would oblige. What Lee said next did surprise him, though.

"Tsunade-sama also asked that you meet with her tomorrow afternoon," Lee told Izari quietly. She stood in the doorway, hands busy drying a plate. The blonde nodded numbly before turning around and disappearing back into the kitchen.

"Anyway, I delivered my message so I guess it's time to go," Lee sighed, rising from the sofa and heading towards the door.

"You're leaving?"

"I have more messengers to deliver," Lee said, flashing a thumbs up. Kankurou narrowly avoided the full power of the smile, but a faint glow could still be viewed around the black shadow his arm cast. Kankurou didn't, however, miss the very brief look Lee shot his sister before he was out the door.

**-O-**

"What does Tsunade-sama want at this hour?"

Lee didn't wilt under Neji's very deadly glare, rather he stood even taller and straighter, smile shining bigger and more brilliant.

"I'm not going to talk about it _here_," Lee said, wide eyes glancing left and right suspiciously.

"I'll be right out."

"Actually, I've got to run."

Neji was relieved; he'd been sure Lee was going to accompany him and knew if that was the case there was no way he'd get the other nin to shut up.

"I need to deliver another message."

Neji's jaw tightened. Whatever this was about, it had to be big.

"I thought Shikamaru might have gone over to Ino or Chouji's apartment after the party, but I guess he's back at his own apartment with Tenten."

Neji felt a swift rush of irritation at the mention of both their names as Lee rushed off. He was suddenly almost sorry that Lee wouldn't be with him. The incessant talking would get his mind off of everything that had happened that night. He glanced at the point where he last saw Lee, the green afterimage long since gone.

**-O-**

Tsunade studied the man in front of her silently. It was how they started every meeting between them. His body language was very closed, a strange juxtaposition of tension and casualness. He wasn't comfortable, but he wasn't afraid. She had a lot more experience than him, not only as a leader, but as a politician. He was only beginning to learn the difference.

"I'll get right to the point."

Tsunade's first statement came as a welcome surprise to Gaara, she was sure, even though he didn't visibly react.

"For all intents and purposes, you're the Kazekage of Wind Country again."

Sharp green eyes shot up and met hers. There was no question of her source; the rumor had been more than a whisper for a long time and that did not bother him.

"It is to be made official on the first of December."

"Luckily, that's just in time for a diplomatic meeting in Snow Country."

"Lighting Country has discussed reopening their country for Chuunin exams. It appears that many official announcements will be made next month."

"These exams would be held in February," Tsunade said, knowing full well he had access to this information as well. "If Lighting Country were to participate, attendance and interest would be high."

"It would be more than high."

Tsunade nodded. "It would be a security nightmare, but the opportunity to gather information…"

Gaara nodded. "Since Lighting Country is the one seeking permission, it would fall on them to host the exam."

"We'd be able to learn so much," Tsunade agreed. "We'd learn their testing standards, teaching methods, and—"

"—Child protégés. Yes, I know."

_I was one. _

"They've been quiet far too long. There's a woman currently living here from Lighting Country. I believe you're aware of her."

"Zan Izari."

"She told me that there was a civil war going on when she left eight years ago," Tsunade revealed. "And if the decision was made to reopen the country after all of this time…"

"You're wondering who won."

"Bingo."

"They know we'll take the bait and go there. They'll learn just as much from us." He paused, eyes locking with Tsunade's.

"But this is a chance worth taking. I doubt they'd be bold enough to attempt an assassination. Konoha has the Nine-Tail and Suna has the One-Tail; Lightning Country abandoned their only jinchuriki and she was murdered, her spirit never recovered."

"We are not invincible. Though there aren't many shinobi powerful enough to seal our powers, it can be done. You and Jiraiya-sama possess the ability, as did Orochimaru. And given the Hyuuga clan's…_use_…of seals, I'm sure Hiashi-sama can." Gaara paused. "…Though he does not have the current knowledge, Hyuuga Neji would also have the potential, I'm sure."

"We don't know the kinds of things taught in Lightning Country," Tsunade said. "Izari told me that the most talented genin there receive specialized instruction from the jounin."

"Similar to how Naruto sought help?"

"Naruto had to ask, but these ninja are matched up with their abilities specifically in mind. I think she used the phrase 'molded from birth.' "

_But not beforehand_, Gaara thought harshly.

"Izari must be very forthcoming with information," Gaara said after a moment.

"Don't think I grant asylum to a Level S Missing Nin on a whim," Tsunade said lowly.

_Of course, you're not to be underestimated_, Gaara thought wryly. _I'm sure it was quite a price you asked for._

"It's clear to me she means no danger to Fire Country," Tsunade snorted. "Locking her up or deporting her would have deprived me of intelligence. Aside from the occasional civilian complaint, she hasn't caused any security problems. She's not loyal to Lighting Country, not anymore."

Gaara's eyes demanded an answer, but Tsunade shook her head.

"The point is that these negotiations might be…_tenuous_."

"Might be?"

"I called in a few favors and got some info on one of the shinobi attending. He's dangerous."

Gaara's ironic expression wasn't lost on her.

"Izari is your source for this?"

"I've got it from _several_ reliable sources that this man is someone to watch out for. He's the main reason I've called this meeting. I have key information on a key player. His father is the Raikage and his uncle is one of the richest men in Snow Country."

"A thug, no doubt."

"Actually, he's an artist."

_Wonderful._ "What's this shinobi's name?"

"Samura Shikami. His uncle's name is Samura Yoshida. He might know Lee's sister."

"How do you figure that?"

"Yoshida's also a famous musician. He plays the violin in Snow Country's orchestra. He's first chair."

Gaara was unimpressed. "So you're guessing at a musical connection between the two? It's not that far-fetched, as my sister overheard Izari speaking to Lee about her wanting to visit Snow Country soon."

"If she _is_ going, it would give you the opportunity to observe them in a social setting before you meet politically. You can drop in on Jou when her guests are conveniently there."

"How would I be able to pull that off without it making my intentions blatantly clear? She and I have a very loose social connection at best."

"You were staying at her house this evening."

"…With my brother and sister after a party she threw." Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Anyone who knows Jou would be aware that she would offer up her home to anyone."

Tsunade's face was unreadable as she studied him intently. "She's a lot like her brother, but she has no formal ties to Fire Country. She could be in league with them."

"Lee _is_ the formal tie. More to the point, he means more to her than any formal tie itself. She would never put Fire Country at risk."

Tsunade felt a smile creep up on hrt. "No, I don't believe she would. However, I'm fairly certain she wouldn't spy on her friends for us."

"I don't know her very well but I'd have to agree."

"It's too bad the two of you aren't closer or you'd have a great excuse to be around when she meets up with her Lightning Country friends."

"The closest connection we have is my brother's fondness for her cooking."

"I don't care if you like her or not, I'm just pointing out the possibilities of just…being in the right place at the right time."

"No ninja with any useful information to us would disclose it to a civilian, especially one from a different country whose foreign shinobi acquaintances are sitting nearby."

"I'm not saying it's a guarantee, but most shinobi lower their guard around civilians. And I mean no disrespect to her, but it's fairly obvious that Jou is a civilian."

Gaara was reminded of Jou tripping over the curb of the sidewalk_. Gee, I would have never guessed_.

"I'm curious if there's a connection between her and this jounin," Tsunade motioned with the folder in her hand, dropping it on the table. He picked it up, opening the cover idly and skimming the meager contents. "But more importantly, just what they're up to. By sheer accident, she could end up being the key."

Gaara gave her a skeptical look. "This is an awful lot of _opportunity_ presenting itself."

"It was a suggestion; I wouldn't dare tell the Kazekage how to run his affairs."

"That's what this whole meeting is about."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "This was a sharing of information between _allies_."

"What a great way to start off my tenure as Kazekage, in the debt of Hidden Leaf." Gaara tossed the folder back onto her desk carelessly.

Tsunade bristled. "I won't go as far as to say that this was a mistake, but your reaction has made me reconsider a lot of things."

"If you're asking for Suna's support if your village is attacked, you have it. But this is different – you want us to help you spy on another nation, one whose business has never concerned us in one way or another in the past. I'm grateful for what you've done, but I'm not responsible for outlining my reaction to it, least of all to you. I'm not sure what you're expecting from me. What you propose is almost reckless. I'm not sure the gains justify the risk for us; Suna was not at war with Lighting, Konoha was."

Gaara's hand grabbed the gourd and slung it over his shoulder and left without another word. The ghost of the thin folder was tucked under his arm, the papers within still whispered to be read, even as it sat on the desk behind him. Whether or not he was going to help her gather information, he knew he would be attending the conference in Snow Country. Whether he liked it or not (and he most decidedly hated it), he owed Fire Country and perhaps more dangerously, Tsunade-sama herself.

**-O-**

Shikamaru's body was fighting to stay awake, but his mind was as alert as ever. Neji suspected it was his strong sense of self-preservation that made Nara stay as far away as politeness permitted as they both took a seat in Hokage's office. Both men sensed agitation on the part of their Hokage, which they knew did not bode well for whatever it was she was going to tell them next.

"I apologize for the hour, but this couldn't wait."

It could apparently wait until your meeting with Gaara. I just saw him leave, Shikamaru thought, by said nothing. Though he was silent, he shot her a not-quite-buying-it look. Tsunade frowned at Shikamaru's impertinence.

_He may be lazy, but he's definitely not a coward,_ Neji thought.

Neji stared hard at Shikamaru, who was gazing levelly at the Hokage. Shikamaru was just trying to concentrate on something so his mind would temporarily forget how drunk his body still was. But he wasn't going to pull any punches, not when it was four in the morning and the Hokage was calling a secret meeting, off-the-record.

"Do you have something you want to tell me?" Tsunade asked him icily.

"Nope." Shikamaru uncrossed his arms and leaned back nonchalantly. Tsunade could only guess what he was thinking; he wasn't going to be defiant outright – it wasn't his nature – but he knew something was up and wanted her to spill the beans.

"It isn't anything as grim as you might think," Tsunade assured him, glaring at him hard. "But it's of incredible importance. You'll need to share leadership responsibilities with Hyuuga Neji. This is a diplomatic assignment, as well as an information gathering one."

"Then why the hell are we here at four in the morning?" Shikamaru snapped, clearly annoyed. Neji glanced at him disapprovingly but had to admit that he had a point. "If you call us in at this hour, please make it good."

"This is a mission of vital importance," Tsunade returned, voice dangerously low. Shikamaru wisely backed off. "It's going to go down in less than two weeks and I want this mission to be the only thing you think about from now until then. Lightning Country is going to be there. There is talk of Hidden Cloud opening up their country for the next Chuunin exams."

Shikamaru sighed, the fight gone, all the crankiness evaporated. His dark eyes were studying Tsunade's face carefully. She was right – this was big news.

_I got his attention, finally_, Tsunade thought grimly. _I know you're tired and preoccupied and **drunk** and that you hate politics to death but I'm counting on you, Shikamaru. _

"So Neji's basically coming along to assure my credibility, seeing as how he's a member of the nobility, am I right?"

_Is this the night of insubordination?_ Tsunade thought darkly. "I am unable to attend the conference so I need to send my brightest, most capable shinobi in my place. I know you two aren't close and I know you don't even get along sometimes, but I'm asking you to work together. I'm also sending Sakura along."

"We don't need a mediator," Neji spoke up for the first time.

"For your information, Hyuuga, I respect her abilities in this area just as much as yours. _She_ is the one getting the final say in everything. I just happened to think she could benefit from the input of two of my best jounin."

Neji was about to retort automatically before realizing it would get him nowhere. Despite his exemplary career as a jounin, he was well aware that over the years, Tsunade-sama gave sufficient evidence to support the theory that she trusted both Shikamaru and Sakura more than she trusted him. Not surprising, given his status as a noble, but disconcerting nonetheless.

"So between the three of us, we're supposed to come up with some satisfactory plan?"

"The plan is simple: don't piss them off so they close up their country tighter than it already is. Get through the negotiations – a farce, but a necessary one - and make it back in one piece so we can make preparations for the exams. I want to know numbers, skill, trump cards, you name it. You've got a week."

**-O-**

"This is the first time you've seen this flick?"

"It's about a transvestite. Why the hell would I watch it?"

"It's a fantastic movie. See, this is what I'm talking about. A guy that watches mainstream over the occult misses out."

"Kind of like _Come Come Paradise_ over _Onsen Mischief_?" The dry tone was impossible to miss. Kankurou gave her look.

"Yeah, kind of like that," Izari's reply was equally pointed. "But this is Rocky Horror. Everyone's seen Rocky Horror."

"Except me."

Izari laughed. "A Rocky Horror virgin, then; you've got a lot to learn." She flicked the DVD player on and navigated the menu with ease. She clicked off the commentary.

"I thought that's why people watched it," Kankurou said, confused.

"Well, I'm going to provide it."

"Riiight. I see."

"I'm deflowering someone and my best friend is in the same room," Izari said coyly, throwing him a devilish grin. Kankurou smiled at the enthusiastic ad libs she threw in after almost every line; she was obviously a Rocky Horror whore.

"Usually I'm the one with the smartass comments," Kankurou smirked

"Well, aren't you in for a surprise? Sometimes it's good for the girl to take the lead. You just might learn something."

**-O-**

_I'm officially a rebound girl_, Izari thought morosely, fingers massaging shampoo in her hair. She tilted her head back into the jet of hot water.

"This is great shampoo," Kankurou complimented, winking at her. He ran his hair through her drenched ringlets to help rinse out the suds.

"It's a special blend my friend made just for me," Izari admitted. Normally she'd actually be a little embarrassed, but he genuinely seemed to like the stuff and wasn't making fun of her.

"Well, it's pretty high end stuff," Kankurou said appreciatively, rinsing it out of his own hair.

Izari nodded blankly, mesmerized by the sight of the water droplets running down his chest. He really wasn't as out-of-shape as she had originally thought and she felt a blush creep up her face that she couldn't entirely blame on the hot water. It had been quite a night.

She wanted to feel worse about it than she already did, she wanted to feel guilty about it, but she really didn't. The only thing that concerned her was that she was starting to become emotionally attached and that was most definitely not the vibe _he_ gave off. Izari's sigh was covered by the splash of shampoo and water hitting the tub

_How could I let this happen?_

_**Author's Notes:** Some Nejiten musings in the next chapter as well as InoShikaTema interaction. Thanks for reading; if you choose to review, please be nice. I know it's not Nejiten fast enough for a lot of people, but I know firsthand that love's no walk in the park, at least not for most. Neji's about to find out that it's not just going to be a neat little Konoha triumvirate when they head up to Snow Country._


	19. Incidence

**Incidence**

_Sonnie_

"Your voice is hurting my head."

"I think it's the tequila from last night that's doing that, Tenten." Tenten fought a wave of nausea as the normally pleasant aroma of scrambled eggs assaulted her nostrils. Jou sighed, pulling the plate over in front of her instead.

"Same difference."

"No, not quite."

"Jou-chan, I'm sorry I ruined your party."

"You didn't ruin it, and even if you did, it wasn't just you. You're in good company, save my manager."

"Yeah, Kankurou really fucked him up. Best taijutsu move I've ever seen him pull, a straight up punch to the face."

"That was really sweet of him." Jou smiled warmly at the memory.

_Only you can say it's sweet of someone to punch someone in the face and make it so sincere._

"You know, I think Izari's kind of taken with him."

Tenten's brows shot up. "Really?" She wasn't sure how she felt about that; they might not be together, but there were obviously lingering feelings of possession between them, the previous night had made that quite clear. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, they took a shower together this morning."

Tenten blinked. "…What?"

"Oh, they thought they were being discreet and everything, but my house is only so big and when two members of the opposite sex go missing at the same time, it doesn't take a genius to do the math."

"But…it's _Izari_. I obviously find Kankurou attractive, but I never really thought he was her type. I thought she'd be all over the hottest man there since she's got this reputation as a maneater…"

"That designation is pretty ironic, considering she's vegan."

Tenten snorted. "Whatever."

"Are you _jealous_?"

"A little bit."

"I thought you liked Neji."

"I do."

"I thought you loved Neji."

Tenten sucked in a breath. "I do."

"Then you got to start acting like it. I know it's hard, but you probably need to forget all about Kankurou for a little while. You need to make Neji center stage, as much as it pains me to say it."

Tenten squeezed her eyes shut. "Why bother if he's not going to acknowledge it? He knows I feel something then he goes and asks Sakura to your party! What kind of person does that, doesn't call for weeks and shows up with another girl?"

"It'd be insulting if any other guy did it with any other girl, but this is _Neji_ and _Sakura_."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning Neji's got the social I.Q. of a can of pistachios and Sakura's the kind of girl that can convince said socially retarded boy to escort her to an event because she doesn't want to show up without a date and give her friend Ino any kind of ammunition against her. He's probably not aware that social implications existed at all. He's _that_ _dense_. I don't really think he has it in him to chase another person to make you jealous, which I must admit is a little problem of _yours_. If you love someone, you've got to accept their flaws."

"Even if it _is_ through pure naïveté, it's really hard because of all the girls he winds up with it has to be one of the brightest shinobi, and also one of the most beautiful."

"Tenten, you're just as beautiful as Sakura."

"But there's no way I can ever say I'm a better ninja. She trains with _Tsunade_, for crying out loud. She convinced my childhood hero to take her on as an _apprentice_. How can I compete with that?"

"I'm telling you, Tenten, you don't have to. If your heart's already made up, then Neji's the guy for you. Trust me, he knows how you feel, deep down under all that way-too-pretty hair and narcissism and superiority complex, he knows. But it's got to get past his personality first. That's going to take time. And once he realizes, I mean really recognizes the fact that you love him, then he's got to come to a realization on his own…and there's no telling how long _that's_ going to take. God, I don't want to tell you wait and I _really_ don't want to tell you to wait for _him_, but if that's what you want…"

"How do you know so much about this? You've never been in love."

"A friend of mine who went through a very emotional-charged and angst-ridden love affair told me."

"And what happened?"

"Honestly, he was on his way to confess his feelings and was murdered that very night."

Tenten sighed. "You're a lousy cheerleader. I should have gone after Lee. Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, it's supposed to make you realize that these things don't happen overnight, that it's one step forward, two steps back, and that you really picked an idiot to fall in love with, but I'm still your friend anyway."

Tenten laughed. "Well, it's a good thing we're still friends, even though you disapprove of my choice of the love of my life. Speaking of which, you've got a hardcore crush on the soon-to-be-Kazekage."

Jou's gaze dropped and she mumbled something incoherent, immediately scooting away from Tenten and covering the lower half of her face with her hands. Tenten prodded her with a tap on the arm and she looked up briefly.

"I think he's interesting." Jou managed to make the seven syllables sound like three and quickly looked down at her feet again.

"This guy used to terrify you."

"He still kind of does." This admission was uncharacteristically mumbled and quiet. Jou was fiddling with the end of her braid, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

"You used to have nightmares about him; please don't tell me you still do."

"They were more along the lines of nightmares about what had happened in general, not necessary about _him_."

"Well why does he interest you? He doesn't talk a whole lot, is almost completely unapproachable, and probably doesn't like you. I don't really think he dislikes you anymore, which is admittedly progress, but you've got a _long_ way to go."

"I guess I'm just fascinated by how different he is than me. I grew up lucky enough to be surrounded by people that love me openly – I still am. And even though my parents are gone, I still have Lee and all of my friends. We laugh and cry together, share great stories, hug in public…things that he couldn't even begin to relate to."

Tenten was about to add that Gaara was a _ninja _for God's sake before remembering that _Lee_ was one too, one that did all of the aforementioned things in excess…Especially the crying.

"And you want to be the one that fixes him?" There was a definite challenge in her voice. As much as she loved Jou, she was still protective of Gaara and didn't want another person, no matter how well-intentioned, to attempt to get close.

Jou balked the harsh words before squaring her shoulders. "I don't have aspirations that I can fix him because that would more than imply I thought he was broken. He's not. I've seen broken people before and so have you. If he ever was, then that means there are people that spent a considerable amount of time and care to ensure that he was mended."

"Jou…"

"I'm _so_ aware of my limitations, Tenten. If I could I'd go out and be by Lee's side, fighting with him every second of every day. But sometimes people need to be on their own so they can become strong for themselves. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, let Lee go off and be a shinobi and make a half-hearted attempt not to worry about every single mission."

"But you trust him to be strong. You've always trusted him and he won't ever hurt you."

At the tiny hint of wistfulness, Jou smiled at her friend. "You know, one day, I think you'll be able to trust Neji like that."

"Yeah right."

"Don't be so quick to brush it off. As much as I utterly loathe him sometimes, I can't deny that you two have this…connection. I mean, you joined ANBU and barely saw him for a year, yet the feelings between you are stronger than ever, even if they're extremely complicated. And you can't blame that solely on him, because you're confused too."

Tenten hung her head. "Yeah, I know. Being a ninja isn't particularly conducive to a relationship."

"I think you need a _vacation_."

"…What?" Tenten's voice was flat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You know, those trips people go on when stress has driven them so insane that they're useless at work?"

"Oh, _those_." The sarcasm in Tenten's voice did nothing to affect Jou.

"Yeah, _those_. Izari and I are heading up to Snow Country to meet up with some friends in about a week. Want to come along?"

"I don't know your friends. It's going to be awkward."

"No it's not. It's only going to be three—I mean two of them. There's Chiie, she's a ballet dancer and she's the friendliest person you'll ever meet. She's so enthusiastic about life and she loves sports, just like you. There's Asazaki too; he's an amazing musician and he does lead vocals and guitar for The Starmen – you like them, right? But on second thought, you might want to stay away from him because he's going to try his damndest to get in your pants."

Tenten's brow rose, a faint challenge in her voice. "I've seen pictures and he's pretty hot, but I'd like to see him try. Anyway, who's the third person?"

"Huh?"

"You said three before changing your answer to two."

"Oh, well the third's the guy I told you about."

"The dead guy?" Tenten immediately regretted her words at the emotion that passed over Jou's face. Admittedly, Jou was not a crier. Tenten knew she cried more than her friend did (Lee cried more than her, too, though this was no surprise) and wasn't sure she wanted to see her start. Jou might be weird, paranoid, panicky, and worrisome, but she simply didn't cry, and Tenten was convinced she didn't cry _ever_.

"Yeah, the dead guy," Jou said flatly, though her voice was clear of hostility. As she continued to speak, it regained its normal bounce and lightness. "He used to be Izari's sensei. He's a genius on the violin and his artwork is amazing. You would have liked him and he would have liked you."

"And you're sure of that?"

"If there's one thing Yoshida prided himself on (though there was definitely more than one thing), it would have to be his great taste."

"Oh yes, I can tell we'd get along _great_. I'm sure I'd get along great with all of your friends too." Tenten's uncharacteristically flat tone was slightly distressing to her friend.

"Come on Tenten, you'll have so much fun! Chiie is the world's best snowboarder, I swear to God, and she'll teach you how if you don't know. And Asazaki likes to go on insane early morning jogs and insane early morning swims and for all the flirting he does, he's a lot of fun to be around. He'll get your mind off of Neji for awhile, which is exactly what you need…in order to get your mind back on him, if that makes sense."

Tenten shook her head. "No, sorry."

"Look, you and Shikamaru were just goofing off last night. Watching you and Kankurou is really, really painful and since you don't want to pursue things further, things need time to cool off. Asazaki is a great guy and he'll give you attention without posing a threat to your feelings for Neji. He'll make you feel like a normal girl."

"But I'm a ninja."

"Yes, you are, but you said it yourself, that being one isn't really conducive to relationships, right? This trip will just let your real personality out for some fresh air. What do you say?"

Tenten rubbed the bridge of her nose, wanting really hard to give a negative answer convincingly but knowing she just couldn't. She didn't think a trip would help her at all; Jou really meant well but Tenten wasn't at all hopeful this was going to work. Her mind was made up the moment Jou suggested it, as much as she hadn't wanted that. Sighing, she gave her friend a half-hearted smile and said yes.

**-O-**

_I guess I'd be kind of mean if I turn down any food from her in the future_, Temari thought sourly as she left Jou's house before the sun came up. _They didn't even taste that bad and they made me so sick…_

Temari was still attempting to shake the last remnants of nausea when she nearly walked headfirst into Shikamaru. He was carrying what appeared to be a large shoebox and a shovel, but that wasn't what struck her as odd. His eyes were red-rimmed and bleary, and before she could help herself, Temari said the first thing that flew into her head.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I had a bad night."

"Join the club."

Shikamaru glanced up at her guiltily, wearing the classic look of a Man About to Apologize, which sent Temari not-quite-welcome reminder that it was little things like this that made her fall in love with him in the first place.

"I was such an ass last night. I really didn't think about how it might affect you so I…" Temari could see this next part was almost painful. "I'm sorry."

She nodded, not really knowing what else to say. She wasn't used to it being awkward, yet another part of why she liked him, so the fact that the awkward silence dragged on between them started to annoy her.

"So…what's in the box?"

Shikamaru looked even more uncomfortable than he had during his apology. "Eh…it's nothing."

"What do you mean, 'nothing'? A man just doesn't walk around with empty boxes and shovels…"

"What?" Shikamaru was a little put off when she trailed off, an odd look on her face.

"May I?" She asked hesitantly, pointing to the corner of the box.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You really don't want to do that."

Temari bristled at the condescending tone and pulled up the corner, as he hadn't given an outright refusal. She dropped the lid and stepped back.

"That's disgusting."

"It's a cat."

"It's _dead_."

"Hence the box."

"But what are you doing with it?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You're going to bury it."

"Yeah."

"It's just a _cat_."

Temari knew she said something wrong when Shikamaru's expression became very closed and he walked right past her without another word.

**-O-**

"Maybe she just never had a pet growing up. Gaara wasn't a very stable child; any animal living there would have a pretty precarious lifespan."

"But she said '_it's just a cat_.' Who says that?" Ino's hands were thrown up in her characteristically histrionic manner.

"People that have never had childhood pets don't understand the bond. She wasn't trying to be mean."

"But this is Temari!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "She's not the devil, Ino."

"She's trying to steal my man!"

"I think she's handling you two rather well." Sakura was starting to lose patience. "Besides, Tenten was doing a great job of that last night."

"Yeah, I heard." Ino's voice was sullen.

"You did? From who?"

"Shikamaru told me," Ino sighed, crossing her arms on the table and resting her head on them. She studied her coffee mug morosely.

_He ruined all my fun!_ Sakura fumed inwardly, though she was secretly impressed. _For professing to not understand troublesome women, he's certainly figured out it's better for her to find this stuff out from him than someone else like me…_

"But he told me it will be _strictly_ platonic from now on."

"And you trust him?"

"Yeah, because as of this morning, his ass is now mine. We're official."

_Lucky Shikamaru,_ Sakura smirked. _Not that Temari is any less scary, but this is Ino-pig we're talking about here._

"So what about you and Neji?"

"Me and Neji?"

"Yeah, you two have always got on really good."

"So…?"

"It's just kind of weird, because Neji doesn't really like social things but he seemed more than willing to go to that party with you."

"It's probably just the way I asked him; he's still really into Tenten. She was less than thrilled when we showed up together."

"Do you like him?"

"No, but I'll be the first to admit that he's really attractive."

"More attractive than Sasuke?"

"…Well, no, but…"

"What about Sai?"

"Psh, that jerk?"

"He may be a jerk, but he's a hot jerk. And he's got an amazing stomach."

"He does have an amazing stomach," Sakura echoed absently before realizing what she said. "Ugh, even if he does, he's still a jerk."

Ino nodded. "…With an amazing stomach."

"Ino-pig!"

"Forehead-girl!"

Both girls dissolved into giggles, completely ignoring the mild disapproving stares around them. The man behind the counter shook his head.

_Women._

**-O-**

Izari was staring at the rather meager contents of the Hokage's office, not for the first time surprised that a woman with such a notorious reputation as Tsunade could, when she desired, appear almost normal. Even in Lightning Country the sannin were famous, and she was still slightly on edge when meeting with her, though this certainly wasn't the first time. She decided to get right to the point…it was, after all, what they both wanted. Tsunade's demand "tell me everything you know" was going to be more than a little taxing, but Izari knew she had to start at the beginning.

"Lighting Country's power was in the hands of the gentry when I left and I suspect it still is. There are five major bloodlines and historically they've always been at each others' throats for the position of Kage. They tended to pay more attention to the other families than to the needs of the people living on their land. Over time, people living outside the Village Hidden in the Clouds began to form a loose coalition in response to this neglect."

"This coalition never posed a real threat to us – I use "us" because my family is nobility – but they undermine our authority, causing problems with civilians. A lot of shinobi that came from ordinary families cut ties with Hidden Cloud and joined their families. During these mass defections the standards and loyalty of each ninja became much more strenuous and demanding to prevent such a thing from happening again. Hidden Cloud doesn't have a lot of ninja that it trusts, but the ones it does have been trained from birth to defend its interests."

"Civil war officially broke out when the Commons, what those loyal to Hidden Cloud have come to call them, took credit for assassinating the daimyo. But as someone present, I can say for certain that their declaration was false, as the act was performed by a member of the nobility. He works for what we call The Third Party, which is basically waiting it out to see who wins, or, when it suits them, tipping the scales in the favor of either side."

"He sounds wonderful." The dry intonation in Tsunade's voice was impossible to miss.

"It was Shikami. He was the one who killed the daimyo."

"A ninja going against the ultimate superior…" Tsunade didn't like it, not one bit.

"Not the way he saw it. The daimyo was a kind man, but raised as he was, he was naturally inclined to cater to the desires of the people he identified with best, those of the nobility. He wasn't unfeeling towards the Commons but he really wasn't aware how bad life was getting for them." Izari paused, taking a sip of the water Tsunade had offered her when she first sat down. "He really didn't deserve to die. But Shikami doesn't believe a title, especially as one as important as daimyo, should ever be inherited; he honestly believes in earning things, ironic since his family is so prestigious. And in light of this, Shikami made a real attempt to completely decimate the family so no one had a proper right to the title."

"Was he successful?"

"As far as I know, he was. A replacement must have been found since they're opening up the country for the exams. I can't imagine the current Raikage doing such a thing because he _wants_ to. It has to be on the orders of the daimyo."

"Do you know the Raikage personally?"

"He said my father's attempts to forge peace with your country at the beginning of the war were a fool's errand and took measures to ensure that his efforts would be stopped."

"Such as?"

"He had my father put to death for treason before I was even born."

"Your father was Ikonji Osane?" Tsunade remembered hearing about the lone Cloud nin that wanted to call a cease-fire so negotiations could resume. He was almost successful, too, until his country decided that somehow they had more to gain from prolonged fighting.

Izari nodded.

"But your name is Zan Izari."

"Zan is my mother's maiden name…I've almost always gone by that. It's my way of carrying on her family...just as my brother carries on our father's."

Tsunade said nothing but mentally filed away this piece of information.

"When my father was executed, my mother was more than a little angry and made a serious effort to kill the Raikage that very night. Her bloodline has strong ties to the weather and the atmosphere; the storm she attempted to kill him with resulted in a large flood. A lot of people died that night and thousands of acres of crops were wiped out. Being eight months pregnant she understandably lost, but it was because of this that he spared her life. He might be the Raikage, but the families don't go around killing each other, at least overtly. It would have looked really bad, so he instead placed my mother under house arrest until she died."

"Even though I inherited qualities from both parents, my talents as a shinobi are more like my mother's. My brother inherited the bloodline of my father the strongest; my father was a med nin and a proper physician, a tradition my brother carries on. Because of the war, lots of bloodlines were attempting marriages with other noble clans in attempts to create super ninjas, despite the fact none of them really got along. Shikami and I are the ultimate bi-products of this, though I must say I think he's far more successful at it than I am."

"Why do you say that?"

"Let me put it this way; it didn't help that I most definitely did not want to be a ninja when I was growing up. From birth, Shikami and I were taught to hate each other and were trained to defeat each other. The, ah, _preparation_ was more than a little intense because at some point I was convinced (and so was he) that we'd have some kind of final showdown and one of us would die. We eventually lost interest, much to the dismay of our respective parents who were living vicariously through us. My brother, as heir, arranged a marriage for me and it is around this time that Third Party recruited him to join their cause."

"Why would the Raikage's son join them?"

"He has no sense of connection to his family members with the exception of his mother, who died in what I believe in a totally bogus suicide after his little sister was born nine years ago. He started to disregard authority; that's the odd thing about him. He doesn't go on killing sprees and he's not even particularly violent as far as shinobi go, but if he wants to do something he gives no thought to consequences and just _does_ it. He's involved with Third Party and there's no telling what their true agenda is and because of that, no way to tell what his actions will be."

"But why join this Third Party?"

"I honestly don't know. For all I know it could be _boredom_. I just don't get the guy, or like him much for that matter. We used to violently hate one another but I can't say I understand why he does half the things he does. He's the most unpredictable person I've ever met, but I'd never call him unstable; a shame, since he rarely makes errors in judgment that can be exploited. He's manipulative and secretive but I wouldn't call him evil…He's probably more amoral than anything. He terrifies his own father and pretty much the entire country."

"Is there anyone that terrifies _him_?"

"I don't think he's scared of anyone, really. The only people I know that pose a real threat to him are my brother and my former sensei, Yoshida."

"You told me about him before…Shikami's uncle?"

"Yoshida's older sister married the Raikage when she was sixteen; at this point in Yoshida's life both of his parents had died and he was pretty much left on his own. Even though he was ten he was able to look after himself and the estate, but he most definitely resented the fact she was taken away. The marriage was arranged before she was even born…she didn't even find out until she read her parents' will."

"The Raikage's family is one of the five noble houses but so is Yoshida's, who's also got a lot more money. The pure bloodline of that family died when he did; he was able to manipulate magnetic fields and appropriately responsive metals, fitting as his family is famous for fine jewelry and such. All precious gemstones and fine metals are procured through business with the Samura family. And much to the Raikage's chagrin, his eldest son and heir, Shikami, has adopted the use of his brother-in-law's family name as he's strongly inherited his mother's bloodline.

"Yoshida was always more a father to Shikami than the Raikage was. He wasn't as neglected as you think growing up. Damn…it would have been just _too_ perfect for us - Yoshida lived in Snow Country and would have been handy if Shikami got out of control during negotiations, but I just got a phone call early this morning from one of my former students telling me he was murdered. Pretty convenient, I'd say, especially because Shikami almost always behaves around his uncle."

"It must have taken quite an effort to kill him."

"Yoshida's one of the most naturally talented ninjas I know with one of the most advanced bloodlines, but he left Lighting Country with me eight years ago to start a new life. Neither of us has been practicing and it's pretty evident in our combat. He probably put up a hell of a fight but was over thirty years old and hadn't done anything as a shinobi since he was in his very early twenties."

_Abandoning training in your prime…that's highly unusual, especially for a skilled ninja._ Tsunade frowned. "Was it the commoners you believe responsible for Yoshida's death?"

"Their advantage lies in numbers, not skill. They simply don't have the organization or the caliber of shinobi necessary to pull off such a reckless assassination, especially not so far from home. I fear that it's Third Party. They're going to want to shut down the negotiations before they start by giving Shikami free reign of Snow Country."

"He's as dangerous as they say."

"He's twice as bad as anything you've heard. Trust me on that one."

"Who was the other member of your team?"

"Yuu Rikichi. He's a total cheeseball but he's a great ninja. His family is far from nobility but he's always wanted to protect Hidden Cloud for some reason, even though it's run by the gentry." Izari paused as a chuckle escaped. "This is completely unimportant, but Yoshida used to have a really big crush on Rikichi's mom…" she chuckled again before straightening up in her chair. "Now that I think about it, Rikichi could keep Shikami in line. Let's hope he's there. Shikami even likes him, insofar as he likes anyone. Yuu Rikichi is a _really_ nice guy, even nicer than Lee."

Tsunade wasn't sure if such a man existed, but it was enlightening to get a subjective viewpoint on possible enemy nins.

"I swear, all Rikichi ever did was yap about how he was going to get Monomori Ayase to marry him. It was pretty ridiculous, because she was and still most likely _is_ the richest, smartest, most beautiful woman in all of Hidden Cloud with a sweet personality to boot…Not that Rikichi doesn't have a shot because he's insanely handsome and bright, but he's poorer than dirt and her dad hates him on principle. None of the gentry ever really trusted his mom, either…thought she was in league with the Commons because she never really liked any of those 'rich people'…"

"Sounds like things are pretty complicated over there."

"It's all about money, star-crossed love, and class politics…Are things any different here? Your hands are still tied by the Elders at times, I'm sure. The Hyuuga clan still has 'issues' it needs to sort out…and of all things, I saw Hyuuga Neji last night with that woman Tenten…it's like a fucking soap opera. What kind of place are you running, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade sighed tiredly. She caught a glimpse of the brunette girl sporting a hell of black eye and got the full story from Sakura. Honestly, she really didn't know what they were thinking.

"Kids these days, right?" Izari smiled broadly, the picture of innocence.

_Right._ Tsunade smiled tightly. She had definitely learned a lot, but this meeting was far from over.

**-O-**

Neji was aware of Hyuuga eyes on him at all times, even when there weren't any Hyuuga _around_, per se, whenever he was in the compound. By familial obligation he was compelled to stay, but he had never given a lot of thought to what it would be like to live where no one saw, if only because it would never happen.

_The only times I ever really feel like I have privacy is when I'm on missions. Whenever I'm here I have every member of the family attempting to dissect why, exactly, I'm acting the way I'm acting. None of them ask…none of them have to._

It was partially this line of thought that turned him onto the possibility that he might like Tenten because she _had_ to ask, she couldn't just look. Years ago when the prying white eyes threatened to overwhelm him he'd been more than happy to look at a pair that did reflect his own image back to him framed in white irises. Back when Tenten still needed to ask what actions meant what because she didn't know him well enough yet.

_And now she knows how I feel when I sit a certain way, or walk a certain way, or look at her a certain way, sometimes before I know myself…At least she used to be like that. I don't know if she remembers all of that now. And when I look at her…I used to know what everything meant and now so much has changed…_

_I used to like her because she was different. That was my reason in the beginning. Then I started to like her because she understood things about me, or at least accepted them. But now I know that in many ways we're similar, that she doesn't know a lot of things about me and that I certainly don't know a lot of things about her. Some of her habits are driving me insane so logically, I shouldn't like her anymore because all of the original reasons don't apply anymore._

Neji remembered frowning when asking Lee what it had been about Sakura that he liked the most. Ignoring the expected "her glorious beauty and amazing personality and brilliant mind" he finally got his friend to admit that it was, of all things, the way her eyes got all squinty when she was mid-sentence and attempting to recount tiny details. It was totally inane, but Neji realized with a healthy dose of acceptance and mild despair that he had plenty of idiosyncrasies of Tenten's that he admired for no good reason at all.

_Her hands are always warmer than mine even though they should be colder because she's smaller. She bites her lip a lot when she's nervous or thinking and it makes me stare at her mouth. She never orders two scoops of the same type of ice cream...she's always trying a new flavor. Her hair gets slightly frizzy when it's damp outside but she doesn't know I know this. _

Neji frowned. _I'm not supposed to be thinking about her like this after how she acted last night. I'm supposed to be angry with her, I should be! She tried to make me jealous, intentionally, just because I showed up with someone else, a purely platonic friend. I shouldn't be interested in someone so insecure…_

_But she's not exactly insecure, a little voice reminded Neji. And if she is, it's only because of your actions, right? Showing up with another woman on your arm has got to be a blow to anyone, even if you didn't mean anything by it, what was she supposed to think? It's not like you called her or anything…_

Neji wanted to curse his brain for being so damned logical.

"_A person is not a puzzle to figure out, a prize to win, a broken thing to fix, or an obstacle to defeat. At times you might have to approach them like that, but the attempt is not a means to an end, it's an end unto itself. Every interaction does its share to shape you, too."_

It was Sakura who'd told him this once, more than a little tipsy when he'd been sitting with her, Naruto, and Shikamaru one evening after a mission. He was willing to bet that she didn't even remember it. She'd been deep in some muddled comparison between Sai and Sasuke and he hadn't even been paying that much attention until she'd mentioned Tenten.

"_Don't be like Sasuke and let a good girl get away from you."_

Neji had been about to reply quite tartly that he was in no way similar to Sasuke, but realized she had a point. Sakura was a great ninja and a good woman; Sasuke had walked away from that. Tenten was similarly skilled in her area of expertise and in his mind, exactly what a beautiful woman should be, but he realized he was basing a lot of this on superficial things. His analytical mind picked apart every flaw and for a time, she lost some appeal, but this tactic never worked long term.

_It's not like a perfect woman exists. I don't even want a perfect woman. I just want—_

Tenten.

_Back to square one._

Neji wondered if he really was in love, and if he _was_, why anyone ever wanted to be in the first place if it meant feeling anything approaching _this_ feeling. He couldn't fathom that it was anything a person would _want_.

"_Love **sucks**."_

Neji winced at the memory of Sakura's rather loud declaration. Shikamaru had just shaken his head and Naruto had looked puzzled. He remembered that he hadn't cared at the time, but if she was right, and she often was, exactly how much truth was in such a statement?

**-O-**

"I can't believe you."

"You're the one who said "it's just a cat.' Who _does_ that?"

"That's not quite as bad as sleeping with a girl you _just met_."

"Technically, I've been hearing her voice over the radio for years."

"You're unbelievable."

"I'd say the same but I do believe that you'd say something that cold and insensitive."

"I wasn't trying to hurt his feelings, it just slipped out."

"And it's not like I went to that party to get laid, it just happened."

"But this is Zan Izari. She's…got a reputation."

"Eh, doesn't mean it's true."

"There's usually a measure of truth in rumors. Sure, I spoke with her a little last night and she's not that bad, but that doesn't mean I want her going out with my brother."

"Whoa, who said anything about going out?"

"You mean you two just slept together and you're not going to see her ever again?"

"Well, maybe a few more times—"

"_Kankurou!"_

"Look, it's no big deal, just a rebound."

"We're talking about a person, here."

"A person you were just insulting a minute ago, Temari."

"I wasn't _insulting_ her, per se."

" 'She's got a _reputation_,' " Kankurou mimicked in a higher-pitched voice.

"I didn't know you seduced her."

"I SO did no seduce her. She put the moves on me."

"Oh really."

"Yeah, she popped in a movie and sat next to me on the couch."

Temari was unimpressed. "Oh? And what movie was this?"

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show?"

"The singing transvestite movie?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think she put it in to seduce you unless there's something about your sexuality you're not telling the rest of us."

"The fact she put in a movie and sat with me…" It sounded weak, even to Kankurou's ears.

"She probably wanted an excuse to keep an eye on Jou. Gaara told me about the sleepwalking. That's just weird."

"It was creepy. People should not be able to talk in their sleep, let alone walk around and stuff. I thought she was messing with me."

"She's not really the type to do that."

"I guess you forgave her for poisoning you."

"She didn't _poison_ me."

"Yeah, sure."

"You're just trying to change the subject."

"No, I'm not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"AM NOT!"

"Be quiet."

Years of conditioning made Temari and Kankurou automatically shut up at their brother's intervention, but that didn't stop him from mouthing the words "are too" at her. She rolled her eyes and waited for Gaara to ignore them again before mouthing "am not" right back.

**-O-**

"If shinobi training was forced on you so strongly, why have you been classically trained on the viola?"

"Through the generations, each noble house has an instrument it's known for: Zans play viola, Samuras play piano, Monomoris play cello, Kotabes play harp, and Ikonjis play violin. They'd parade the children around in recitals…more cultured than shinobi combat but it was all a farce, a thin veneer of civility meant to veil yet another competition." The contempt on her voice was alarming, Tsunade noted that while her face was perfectly cool and detached, each word was spat with venom. "We have endless symbols that stand for our houses; flowers…animals…colors…But on the surface, all families 'get along' or so they would have the Commons believe. It's total bollocks, too."

"Who is Kotabe?"

"The Raikage's name is Kotabe Hiro. You didn't hear it from me, but he can't play the harp worth shit. He's got this inferiority complex because he's got a powerful genjutsu-based bloodline, but it's one that can't be applied in practical combat. For years he worked insanely hard to be at the same level of his peers, but even after surpassing them he's still worried he can't beat some of the more powerful members of the village in a direct, one-on-one confrontation. To add to his ire, his prestigious bloodline doesn't show up in his sons. It might in his daughter; she was born only a few days before I left, so I can't tell you. I've even heard rumors that Kotabe's little brother is in Third Party. Everything over there's really fucked up, as you can tell, I'm sure."

"It doesn't sound like they're in any shape to host a Chuunin exam. It might be dangerous for us to go."

"It's always dangerous to go. I bet the Raikage's got some elaborate scheme planned. But it'll all go to hell if his son and Third Party decide to get involved. He might even be hoping you help him eliminate them while you're there. That's why Kotabe wanted to become Raikage – he can just order people to do things for him."

"He's not going to order me around."

Izari smiled. "I don't think he could. He's still not to be underestimated. He's strong, very crafty, and highly organized. If any other person were Raikage I bet Third Party would have made a bigger move, and as far as I know _that _hasn't happened yet. Eh, any male with Kotabe blood is a chauvinist pig in my experience. Kenji, Hiro's middle child, was an absolutely wretched student. Arrogant, spoiled, and way too smart for his own good. You'd need to watch out for him, too, if only the kid weren't so obsessed with rules and decorum and reputation that he's too 'civilized' to act out...for the most part."

"This whole family sounds like trouble."

"They are. The Kotabe family is strongest right now – the head of the family is Raikage and both of his sons are at least within the top five most powerful ninja in Hidden Cloud, I'm sure. But for all their power they're still wary of Takayori, my brother, who's got a lot of ninjas' respect and loyalty; Kotabe is fond of sending my brother out of the country on diplomatic missions when he plans on doing something really despicable. Takayori is the most patient, even-tempered man I've ever met, but he simply wouldn't stand for some of the things Kotabe does. Nobles are hesitant about disagreeing publicly; no one wants to show weakness to the Commons or worse, Third Party."

"So we can expect some hardball in Snow Country, but nothing too aggressive or bold?"

Izari nodded. "I don't think they'd risk word getting back. Even though Shikami does as he pleases, Kenji is loyal to his father, if only because they're related. Kenji, depending on how much he's progressed, could be a very real threat to his brother. But Kenji's so tied up in the concept of loyalty he often winds up betraying the people he most likely cares about. He's very black-and-white, by-the-book."

"What about strengths and weaknesses?"

"Shikami and Kenji are resistant to genjutsu…they may not have their father's ability but they aren't easy prey to it, either. Their chakra capacity is immense, their skill and knowledge thorough, and both are incredibly intelligent strategists, but Kenji thinks inside the box."

"What about Shikami?"

"Oh, Shikami's very creative. His nihilism is rather frightening and I'm not saying he's easily swayed by any means, but if you present a good argument he will give you the time of day. Kenji is far more elitist and arrogant than his brother, who oddly enough has no problem giving credit where credit is due, even if he doesn't like a person."

"What of Kenji's teammates? Are they still alive?"

"As far as I know." Izari shrugged.

"Do they pose a threat?"

"They're very skilled and competent but lack the chakra capacity to do any real harm. One of them might be able to open gates but I don't think she'd be able to match someone like say, Rock Lee. She's fast but incredibly small. But she and his other teammate most likely quit being shinobi – neither of them wanted to do it, really."

"Then why…?"

"Before the rules got insanely strict, every child in Hidden Cloud had to train to become a shinobi. After the mass defections, rules were tightened but both made the cut, probably more out of loyalty than skill, since they were both very young at the time."

"I'm going to ask you to prepare more detailed reports on all of the Hidden Cloud nins you know. I want to know their powers, intelligence, potential, strengths, and weaknesses."

"I can tell you up front that Takayori…I can't tell you any of his weaknesses."

"I understand he's your brother, but—"

"No, you don't understand. The bloodline he inherited from our father is not well understood. Our father's power was barely a fraction of what Takayori's is and he died before he could tell us all of its secrets. Ever since I can remember Takayori's been hunting down information on it. He didn't know a lot about it when I left so I don't have a lot to say on the matter. He kept its inner workings private, even from me. I think the only people that know are his former teammates, Ayase and Yoshida. But since Yoshida is dead, there's no way to get information on it without asking him."

"Are you prepared to gather intelligence on the matter for us?"

"You're asking me to collect evidence that might lead to his death." Izari couldn't cover the panic that rose in her voice.

"It's unlikely that—"

"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, you have nothing to worry about from Takayori. If you only knew him, you'd—"

"As you know him? He's your own brother and yet you claim to know next to nothing about his bloodline. It sounds to me like you don't know much of anything about him, at least nothing you want to admit."

Izari slumped in her chair in defeat.

"I expect those reports done as soon as possible. You will write them here; I'll have Shizune set up a space for you."

Izari nodded numbly, hoping with every ounce of her being that her brother would not be in Snow Country when she arrived.

**-O-**

"Hey, wait up!"

Shikamaru stiffened when he recognized the voice. He really didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment, but especially not Temari, not after what she said. Still, a tiny shred of civility forced him to wait until she'd caught up with him. She'd even hurried her steps to catch up.

"Hey, Shikamaru."

"Hey." His reply wasn't sarcastic, but it was very unenthused.

"Um, about what I said earlier…"

"Yeah?" Venom had dripped into his voice ever-so-slightly.

Temari frowned, knowing she deserved that. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"What are you talking about?"

"I said 'it's just a cat.' I didn't know it wasn't a good thing to say."

"How could it have been a good thing?" Shikamaru was horrified when he blurted this out.

""Well, why is it so bad?"

"I've had Nano-chan" his glare stopped her mid-laugh "since I was five years old. He sat under the table and helped me eat all my green vegetables when I was a kid. His fur kept Ino's mom from coming over as often as she wanted to, meddlesome woman, since she was allergic. He sat on my legs every night when I went to sleep, which was troublesome, but not really all that much, I suppose. He was my least troublesome friend ever."

Temari thought it all sounded a little ridiculous until she realized he was completely serious.

"Fifteen years is a long time for a cat. He led a full life, from the sound of it."

"Since you never had any pets you wouldn't know, but it's really relaxing to have a cat, at least a good one."

"I don't really like cats," Temari admitted.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Heh, Ino says the same thing, but I saw her around Nano-chan. You have to get to know a cat first before you make that call. Ino was almost as sad as I was that Nano-chan died, even though she didn't want to admit it."

"I can't really foresee me getting along with a cat, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to be more open-minded about it," she conceded after a moment. Silence hung between them again, and Temari was racking her brain trying to think of something to say.

"Temari," Shikamaru began tentatively, looking her straight in the eye with some expression she'd never seen before. "In every situation like ours, things get awkward. But I don't want us to stop being friends. I don't want to turn into Neji and Tenten and have it be painful every time we're in the same room. I'm not trying to dismiss our feelings, but we've also got a job to do."

Temari mulled over what he said; she was glad he wasn't patronizing her more than anything. It _did_ hurt, maybe it hurt a lot more than she knew at that exact moment, but it wasn't the end of the world. And it was that terrible, wonderful connection that seemed to exist between Neji and Tenten, the one that had unfortunately involved her brother.

"Thanks for not apologizing," Temari said finally. "You didn't do anything wrong; if you had apologized, it'd make me think that you somehow did."

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm really glad you're not beating my ass with that fan of yours."

"I don't like going after people if they're not going to fight back."

Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully at what might be a rather loaded statement. "Did you get briefed on the latest mission yet?"

"The one to Snow Country?"

"Yeah."

"I was heading to Tsunade's office; there are materials there she's not allowing outside the building, at least not in the hands of Leaf nins I've been told. She gave my brother some information on a Lightning nin they speculate might be there, but I heard she got some new information earlier today."

"Apparently that blonde from the party knows a lot about what's been happening there."

_I'm sure she does,_ Temari thought. "I guess I heard the same thing."

"Here to pick up a copy for your brother?"

Temari shrugged.

"At least you get to leave with it. I've got to memorize it all; Neji and Sakura will be there."

Temari didn't miss a beat. "Good luck with that."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

**-O-**

Tenten stood over the open, empty suitcase sprawled on her bed. She stared absently at its dimensions, pondering what she'd fill it with. She didn't really have a lot of clothes; most of her money went right back into weapons – she spent a lot of time fixing the ones that could be salvaged to save money.

"I'll just pack the bare essentials," spoke out loud. "If I need anything, which is really unlikely, I think Jou and I can manage to find it."

_But can you afford it? _Tenten winced. _I'll manage somehow. It'll probably be a boring trip anyway._

**-O-**

Sakura's eyes lifted from the paper for the sixth time that paragraph; really, why did men have to be so absurd? Neither of them was dating Tenten and both were acting ridiculously possessive; Shikamaru was glaring at Neji in a "leave me and her the fuck alone" kind of way. Neji was sending off "stay the hell away from my girl" vibes. It was really difficult to concentrate.

"For crying out loud, this isn't a pissing contest!" she blurted out. She pointed at Shikamaru. "You're damned lucky Ino hasn't dumped your sorry ass. Hurry up and memorize these files so you can get your ass home to her." She pointed at Neji. "And asking you to take me to that party was the dumbest idea I've had in quite awhile. If you liked her at all you should have gone with her. That's just common sense."

When both men were unresponsive, she stood and threw down the file she'd been twisting.

"For fuck's sake, GROW UP!" Sakura was positively fuming and she, at least ostensibly, got her wish when both men quietly returned to their reading, glares and grudges temporarily forgotten.

I guess this would be a bad time to mention that Lee told me Tenten's going to Snow Country with Jou and Izari…

Shikamaru dropped file at Neji's feet; the Hyuuga made no move to retrieve it until Sakura sent him a lethal glare. Frowning, he swiped the paper from the floor and tossed it onto Shikamaru's lap.

_Maybe this whole trip won't be so bad after all,_ she smiled.

_Wow, this guy could totally kick my ass,_ Shikamaru thought grimly, reading Izari's notes on Kotabe Kenji. _One of his many instructors throughout the years was Monomori Ayase, a woman whose bloodline I've never seen the likes of before. Apparently it has no direct power, but when she's in the proximity of another bloodline, she can enhance its abilities. Prolonged contact can and will cause a permanent boost in power…I don't like the sound of this._

Neji was leafing through the file on a woman named Chiie. _She's primarily a taijutsu user like himself. She lacks a bloodline and her moves are straightforward, but it says she received basic training in technique from several houses; must be quite a popular student to convince so many powerful families to take her on as a student and teach her their secrets. She has Lee's speed and Sakura's inhuman, chakra-enhanced strength, but the inability to do genjutsu and very limited practice with ninjutsu…interesting because she has such great chakra control._

_Who puts down in a ninja file that the subject is a womanizer?_ Sakura thought irritably. _This Asazaki guy doesn't sound like much. His family is to cats what Kiba's family is to dogs; he doesn't have a familiar, though. And what the hell does "brilliant but not academically inclined" mean? Are we talking Shikamaru-lazy here? This kid was only twelve when she left, how can you be a womanizer at the age of twelve!? Get real!_

Shikamaru dared a wary glance at Sakura, only to see her furiously switch to another file. He hastily returned to his own, now covering a ninja named Rikichi.

_He doesn't sound like a ninja at all,_ Shikamaru conceded after a moment. _Plays the tenor saxophone, good for him…Likes red roses (how the hell is this important?)…Can't dance (once again, how is this relevant?)…Obsessed with Monomori Ayase, the chick with the amplifying power, gee, how nice…Is there anything useful in here?_

Neji was regarding his file thoughtfully. _Shikami doesn't quite fit any profile I've seen before. He's unpredictable but not unreliable or incompetent. Izari writes that he's very intuitive and that he might not have the ability to control metal as well as his brother does or uncle did, he is a master of seals. I always suspected the Kotabe family used seals to keep their family "pets" loyal. They don't cage their birds, they brand seals upon their flesh…_

Sakura knew instinctively that the file she now held in her hands was in a completely different tone than all the others. Tsunade had told her to be especially careful with this one; Takayori and Izari were siblings.

_He's really a doctor? It says he's a successful and highly-skilled surgeon that works very well with others. He does very well on diplomatic missions and is often employed to handle tense situations, as he's trustworthy and fair. He never loses his temper or raises his voice (why don't we have ninja like that here?) and he is a rather quiet person. He reads classic novels and plays in his spare time (nerd alert!)._

_What kind of shinobi are these people? Half of these files sound like dating ads! I'm surprised I didn't read "likes long walks by the beach" or something! I guess it kind of makes sense, though. We're not going to Snow Country with the intent of meeting these people in battle. To know their personalities is even better, and we do have a wealth of information on these weirdos…_

At the very bottom in tiny, neat handwriting, she spotted a message from Izari, a plea, really.

"_You can't kill him!"_

Sakura smiled grimly. I hope it doesn't come to that.

**Author's Notes:** A nice long chapter to set the stage for the next arc of my story. If you review (and I hope you do, because they provide a LOT of inspiration), please be constructive. This is very roughly edited and proofread, so I apologize but I really want to crank out these chapters while I'm really enthusiastic!


	20. Arrivals

**Arrivals**

_Sonnie_

For the third time that week, Tenten hopped out of bed about five minutes before her alarm went off, immediately slipping out of her pajamas and into a sports bra and a pair of running tights. She applauded Lee; spandex was a lot more comfortable than she realized until he bought her a pair of spandex pants. Granted, they were green and she never wore them out in public much (or ever), but she bought herself a black pair for her early morning runs.

The sports bra she wore was pink, the edge of a thick strap visible underneath her white tank top until she pulled on a purple hoodie and grabbed her Walkman from the nightstand. Before heading to the door where her running shoes were, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail.

_Jou's still asleep,_ Tenten glanced over to where her friend was unconscious on the couch. The room they had was small, but it was more cozy than claustrophobic. It had only one bedroom, which Jou (of course) insisted that Tenten take, and she'd been more than happy to say yes. As she tied her sneakers, Tenten glanced at the clock.

_Five forty one. I might just beat him there_, she thought, smiling.

**-O-**

On the other side of town, Asazaki was similarly tying his running shoes and glancing at a clock. He wondered if she'd beat him to the square today, whatever her name was (because he'd never really asked), and half-hoped that she might this time. He put his headphones on and rushed out the door.

**-O-**

Tenten scowled when she saw the familiar silhouette jogging in place. Snow Country was beautiful, its capital city even more so. Yukimura wasn't large, but it was elegant. It mostly catered to rich tourists during this time of year, but no one was out this early.

_It's the crack of dawn…no one but you and me_, Tenten smirked, quickly approaching the lone figure.

As Tenten neared the square, she was struck again by how handsome her unnamed running partner was. He was about six feet tall, muscular but sleek, and had incredible, piercing blue eyes. His hair was inky black, so dark it almost shone blue, and he had the most openly flirtatious yet oddly innocent smile Tenten had ever seen. She knew enough egotistical ninjas to know he wasn't similarly and insufferably arrogant but rather confident and spirited, a rather refreshing trait.

_He is, however, the most excruciatingly competitive person I've ever met_, Tenten thought darkly, bracing herself for eye contact. _We never talk but we always end up racing around the city until we both drop breathless at the finish line. I'm going to beat his ass this time!_

The stranger smiled at her, a challenge apparent in his grin. The glint in his eyes, though, reaffirmed that this somehow was not a simple contest of speed. He broke into a sprint, Tenten right behind him. It felt good to run even though the wind was bitingly cold. It felt thrillingly sharp in her lungs as she panted feverishly.

The terrain was unfamiliar but becoming more natural every day. She had missed the pure exhilaration running brought on, the "runner's high" it was dubbed. It was pure bliss, her feet flying over the ground and wind whipping loose strands of hair in her face. Nothing beat the feeling of contentment that crept in when she did something she loved, something simple and uncomplicated. She narrowed her brown eyes at her opponent.

_You are _**so**_ on._

**-O-**

_Damn, what is up with this chick? _

Izari was staring at where Tenten had collapsed on the sofa; Jou had recently vacated only to have her place taken by her brunette friend. Chest heaving, sweat pouring, and breaths ragged, Tenten told the older woman what she'd been doing all week.

"Sounds like you've been meeting up with Asazaki," Izari said quietly after a moment. She and Yoshida had agreed that he wouldn't reveal her presence to any Lightning nins; as far as they knew, she was dead. Some of those Lightning nins had, however, met and formed friendships with Jou and it was soon becoming apparent, Tenten.

"Jou told me about him…he's supposed to be a real ladies' man but this guy is pretty focused and serious about working out." Tenten leaned forward as she downed a good portion of the water in her bottle before falling back on the sofa.

"No, he's focused and serious about beating you at something. He's the most insanely competitive man on the planet when it comes to being physically fit…or anything, now that I think about it. The fact you challenge him is quite a feat, Tenten."

"You think?"

Izari didn't miss a beat. "_Yes_."

"Oh, well it's all in good fun, I suppose," Tenten said with a shrug. She cast a sideways glance at Izari.

"So…you and Kankurou, eh?"

Izari visibly started.

_Maybe she's not so tough after all,_ Tenten thought, watching the rather dismayed blonde mutter something unintelligible that ended with something to the effect of "I'm going to get some fresh air outside…for a couple of hours or so…"

_That's not how you act when you're embarrassed about being caught, that's how you act when you like someone,_ Tenten pursed her lips, mulling this over. _Well, Kankurou was always perfectly nice to me…_

"Tenten, is that you?"

Jou emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a fluffy red towel. She wore a green terrycloth robe and red slippers as she traipsed rather sleepily out to the living room area.

"I'm just curious…where is Izari sleeping?" Tenten asked. "She's supposed to be staying with us but I've barely seen her in here."

"Oh, she's been at the library every day."

"The _library_?"

"Oh yes, Izari loves to read."

"…Okay…" Tenten was having a hard time envisioning the rather high-maintenance woman sitting in an institutionalized center of learning calmly paging through a novel. "Are they letting her stay overnight or something?"

"No, but she doesn't really have consistent sleeping hours so she crashes here whenever."

"It sounds like she's a bit anxious about staying in one place," Tenten ventured neutrally.

Jou shrugged. "Well, there's a lot of Lightning nin around," she said after a moment of unusual awkward silence.

Tenten looked thoughtful. She knew there was some mission going down but didn't know any details. It kind of stung, to be left out of the loop, but she realized that diplomacy was never her strongpoint. "Do you think she's ready to see them?"

"I honestly don't know," Jou said. "Yoshida never told them she came with him to Snow Country; they think she's dead. She would rather avoid contact."

Tenten nodded. "That'd be the smart thing to do, I suppose."

Jou smiled faintly. "I can't see anything good happening if she were to run into one of them."

_Especially Shikami._

**-O-**

Gaara sat by the largest window of his luxury suite. He stared briefly out at the snow, watching how its icy expanse was eerily similar to the stifling hot sand that covered everything in Suna. It made the land unforgiving and the people hard, at least in his experience. The sense of forbidding he felt from the atmosphere was not at all unfamiliar.

"Are you _still_ filling out paperwork?"

Gaara shook his head negatively at his brother. "Some of the Lightning nins are here. I feel their energy moving around; they're on the same floor as us."

"Oh really?"

"There's at least seven of them."

"It's too bad we left Temari back in Suna, then."

"There's still three of us." Gaara's third was seated at the desk filing a report. She was one of the only kunoichi in his age range that didn't fawn over him ridiculously; some kind of oddity in Suna, he discovered. Kankurou had mentioned several times that the two of them had gotten on rather well, but always left it at that. She was about five-foot-seven and had strawberry blonde, very chicly-cut and perfectly-styled hair, the only vanity Kankurou had ever found on an otherwise practical ninja. Her name was Mura.

"Seven, though…" Kankurou allowed a bit of negativity to seep into his voice.

"Three are children."

"They brought children?"

"There are two girls and a boy. All three are less than ten years old. I suspect they are genin students."

"Do you know what they've been up to?"

"They're split up in four rooms…all the adults are male and three of them have very strong auras. The forth one…I can't seem to get a reading on and he's rarely around. Trying to read him is like attempting to look through a wall."

"So he's aware of your intent?"

"I think he's got some kind of natural shield against such elementary probing. They've all been out and about since arriving yesterday."

"Rather unusual for people preparing for a diplomatic meeting."

"I've read the files Izari wrote…I get the feeling they're rather unusual people."

_Izari. Right._

"If that big-shot Yoshida died, maybe some of the people came along because of that. He has two nephews, right?"

"Kenji and Shikami."

Kankurou glanced up when Mura supplied the names. Apparently she'd been privy to the information inside. _Interesting._

"There could be some type of memorial service they need to attend," Mura continued.

"Or they might be wondering if he left them a healthy chunk of cash," Kankurou suggested, a cynical grin splitting his painted face. He pointed to the folder. "They exactly don't sound like nice guys."

**-O-**

Sakura blew strands of hair out of her eyes loudly, not particularly caring if someone found her behavior rude. Medical conferences and seminars were always boring; for the sake of appearances she always attended, but when it really came down to it, it was basically Tsunade-sama making her.

_I already know how to do this!_ Sakura huffed indignantly when she received a piercing glare from the medical kunoichi speaking. Satisfied she'd irritated the pink-haired woman, she continued smugly. Sakura scowled, eyes lifting from her doodle to glance at the room's occupants for what seemed like the hundredth time.

_Old guy…old guy…old guy…old lady…kunoichi whose shirt is way too low-cut…another kunoichi whose shirt is way too low cut…good-looking but somewhat bland shinobi male…a really ugly and bland-looking shinobi male…cute kunoichi who's lucky if she's got two brain cells to rub together…good-looking shinobi male who looks just as bored as me…_

Sakura studied this one a little more closely. They actually weren't sitting that far apart; Sakura could have reached out and touched his arm if she desired. At first glance he appeared to be taking notes, but Sakura noticed that his pencil practically flew over the paper.

_There's no way he's getting all that from **her**,_ Sakura thought, glancing at where the speaker was droning on about cell multiplication. _Every ninja here has heard this stuff before…this is just review, basically. What on earth is he doing?_

Almost as if he read her mind, the shinobi absently tilted his notebook to his right, affording her a glimpse. To her surprise, it was a very rough sketch of her, slouching rather grumpily in her chair. Kind of embarrassed a stranger (and an incredibly handsome one at that) had caught her in such an unflattering light, she straightened up considerably.

_I can be pretty too, you know!_ Sakura thought wildly, face falling when she realized he was working on another sketch. It was the speaker this time; even an arms-length away she could tell who it was after less than a minute.

_He's pretty good_, Sakura conceded before coming to a realization. _Damn, his doodles are better than mine…_

The next series of drawings must have been from memory because Sakura didn't recognize any of the subjects. After a few minutes he shifted in his chair and Sakura lost her visual. As the lecture was winding down, Sakura counted and realized he must have done an upwards of ten different pictures. Shrugging off the look the speaker gave her as she left, Sakura milled around so she could get another look at the shinobi.

_His coloring is unusual,_ Sakura thought, following him closely in what was ostensibly a rush to reach the door. _Most blondes have really cool skin tones but his skin is a light, golden tan…and his eyes…they're…amber? Or they're a warm green…I can't tell with his back turned to me. Oh, and he's so tall!_

Sakura knew she was being superficial, but really, how could she not be? There was something about his presence…Everything about him was very pleasant and serene, quiet but not quite understated. She extended her aura a bit to get a better reading on him and was surprised when all the warmth she'd been sensing was somehow undetectable on this level.

_That's odd_, she thought, frowning. _It's like hitting a barrier…_

Deep in thought, she wasn't paying close attention to his actions anymore. He turned around suddenly and the pair collided, papers flying everywhere. She let a curse escape at the force; she'd jammed her wrist against him and it was throbbing like mad, but not nearly as badly as her heartbeat.

_Damn, what an embarrassing way to get hurt, ogling some guy_, Sakura's mind was racing as she numbly bent to pick up papers. To her surprise, she found them all in the hands of the man she'd run into, held out in a very kind offering. She took them without looking at them, her eyes fixed on her freezing cold toes.

_I should have worn more sensible shoes, and my toenails haven't been painted in over a month,_ she thought with dismay. _What is he going to think?_

"I'm so sorry, I'm just—" Sakura attempted to stammer an apology (they both knew she'd been following way too close) but to her surprised he gave her a small smile and a brief apology before brushing past. His hand patted her wrist comfortingly (the sore one!) and before she knew it, he was gone.

_That was…different._ Sakura felt her senses swimming; what had he done to her? She stared after him, glancing at her arm where he'd touched it briefly with his hand. The skin beneath her coat almost sang in some foreign, glorious feeling.

_He's got weird chakra_, Sakura thought, flexing her wrist. _It doesn't hurt anymore, either. He barely touched me and I didn't see any jutsu being performed. I didn't even sense any unusual chakra from him when he did, though overall he's just…I don't even know. I've never felt anything quite like it. It was overwhelming…but then it was gone the next minute… _

_He had to be one of the Lightning nins…but which one is he? Takayori, the med nina? I thought if anything he'd be one with the most diplomatic power…why the hell would he be attending a boring medical conference? Asazaki's file mentioned some medical training…and he's supposedly friendly just like Izari said Rikichi would be…but Asazaki's got dark hair like Shikami does…but he certainly can't be Kenji, can he? Kenji's got blond hair…but this guy…he's too…nice? For all you know, Haruno Sakura, it could all be an act. _

Sighing when she realized this was very, very true, Sakura glanced down at her messy notebook. A picture sat on top of all of her papers, the portrait smiling back at her sweetly. Sakura gaped at the pink-haired girl in the picture and once again stared off to where the mystery man had disappeared.

**-O-**

"_I want you to tail a woman, a civilian, with dark hair and eyes. She's on the small side and you'll most likely find her talking. She'll be wearing either green or red; it's nearly Christmas so she'll probably be wearing both. Her name is Jou."_

There had been a pause, the hint of a memory coming to the surface.

"…_She's rather clumsy."_

Mura blinked as she watched her potential target clip the doorway to the boutique she was entering. A rather surprising string of swear words followed as she hopped into the store, rubbing her knee furiously.

_Bingo. _

The reason for the tail was obvious when she saw the company she was attracting. Tenten was no surprise – Mura knew they were friends, but it was the two strange people that were attempting to sneak up behind her, a man and a woman, that caught her attention. She quickly made her way into the shop, expecting the worse.

**-O-**

_This is the most depressing, antisocial group of human beings in existence,_ Shikamaru thought sullenly, glancing back and forth between Neji and a newcomer, a man with pale hair and grey eyes. While it wasn't quite recognition, they definitely sensed something almost familiar about the other.

_I suppose he's one of those nobles Izari mentioned in her report,_ Shikamaru thought, noting the coolly appraising way that Neji was being observed. The latter was attempting to look disinterested.

_Hyuuga, you're not fooling me_, Shikamaru thought, sighing. _The noble houses of Konoha know a lot about the noble houses of Kumo. They even tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heir. You know more than you're saying, but Tsunade-sama didn't push you, at least not in front of me. The way you two are looking at each other…Do you know this guy or something?_

"I believe you're a Hyuuga, are you not? My name is Kotabe Kenji." His voice was unnaturally loud in the empty hotel lobby; the acoustics such a grand establishment afforded made it easy to be overheard; Kenji seemed confident enough that such things didn't matter.

Not expecting such straightforwardness, Neji paused a brief moment. "My name is Hyuuga Neji."

Kenji leveled a glance at Shikamaru briefly before returning to Neji. "It's nice to see that your assembly has some pedigree."

Shikamaru didn't rise to the bait of what was most clearly an insult. This guy wasn't just rich, he was outright rude. Shikamaru knew it was all a test; plenty of other ninja had certainly jumped up and attacked at far less, he was sure. He ignored the comment, returning his gaze to the window and the clouds beyond.

_I don't care if I fucking freeze, I'd rather be outside right now,_ Shikamaru thought wistfully. _The clouds look so nice today…_

"I can't say that Shikamaru's implied lack of pedigree has ever prevented him from performing his duty," Neji said quietly.

_Well, that's a first,_ Shikamaru thought. _I never thought Hyuuga Neji would stick up for me, if only because some arrogant prick wants to push us around._

Shikamaru was glad that Kenji decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. Kenji's attention returned dutifully to his book.

_What on Earth…?_ Shikamaru lifted a brow when he glimpsed Kenji's reading material. It was some kind of philosophical book, every word still in its native Greek. It was well-worn, apparently a favorite.

_I guess I know what some people were doing when I was goofing off with Chouji at the Ninja Academy_, Shikamaru frowned. _These guys don't mess around with their education; the richest ones are privately tutored at a very young age. The fact he's reading Greek, of all things, proves that._

Shikamaru sighed impatiently. _I have a bad feeling about this trip._

And though he had no way of knowing it, Neji, less than ten feet away, was thinking the exact same thing.

**-O-**

Jou was browsing the CD rack innocently, completely oblivious to the pair of shinobi sneaking up behind her. Tenten, a few aisles away, felt that something odd was up and glanced up. A very tall man and a very short woman were edging towards her friend intently. Before she could stop them, the woman crashed into her, sending her flying into her companion.

"God, get out of my way!" The short girl was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring sharply and menacingly at the slightly taller woman.

"Wha—?" Jou stumbled back, the wind knocked out of her.

"Geez, Chiie, watch who you're running into! Stop pushing ugly girls at me!" The man Jou bumped into practically shoved her arms-length away.

"Ugly?" Jou glanced up at her captor, indignant.

"Yeah, ugly," the guy whistled lowly. He glanced at his friend. "Who is this ugly girl, anyway?"

Expecting an outburst, Tenten was surprised when Jou laughed. "You're so mean, Rikichi. What would Mihana-san say?"

The tiny girl perked up suddenly and a devilish look overtook her elfin features. "Gee, I wonder…"

"Aw, shut up, Chiie," Rikichi snapped good-naturedly.

As their banter continued on, Tenten relaxed slightly. The three of them were obviously friends; Tenten really wasn't fazed by anything she heard when she took into consideration how odd Jou was sometimes. All three were very talkative and friendly, it seemed.

"Chiie, Rikichi, this is Tenten," Jou said, shaking Tenten from her musings. "I told you about her, remember?"

"The one with the smokin' bod?"

"Somehow I don't think that those were my words," Jou said flatly, eyeing Rikichi skeptically.

"Umm…I think Asazaki mentioned her," Chiie exclaimed. "They run together, remember?"

"You're jogging hottie!" Rikichi wore the expression of one who just _got _it. "You've been getting up before dawn and racing him…he says it's a lot of fun."

Tenten blushed slightly. "And he called me 'jogging hottie?' "

"Yep. He said you've got excellent form, and I don't think he was referring to your running technique."

Tenten blinked. "I'm flattered."

"Asazaki's always on the lookout for beauty. I don't think he was expecting to find it here."

"Why's that?"

"Most of the people that live up here are fair-haired. Asazaki digs brunettes. I mean, he's usually about casual flings; I can't say I really remember him talking about a girl at length before. You should feel lucky…he's a very popular guy."

Tenten didn't really know what to say to that, but instead of allowing awkward silence to kick in, Rikichi grinned at her.

"Ah well, it's clear there's more to you than just Asazaki's diversion. If you're friends with Jou, you've got to be downright amazing. Running aside, what do you think of this place? Isn't it great?"

"I haven't really explored all my options yet," Tenten admitted somewhat shyly, blushing a bit from his compliment. "I didn't expect to find so much to do."

"Have you checked out the ski slopes yet?" Chiie was practically chomping at the bit; Tenten was reminded very suddenly of Rock Lee…something about her exuberance and energy.

"Not yet."

"Why don't you come with Rikichi and me?"

"You're not coming, Jou-chan?" Tenten asked.

"Umm…I think I'll pass today," Jou was staring blatantly at the ceiling, wringing her hands nervously at the prospect. "You should definitely go, Tenten."

"I don't want to inconvenience you…" she trailed off, eyes darting back and forth between Chiie and Rikichi, somehow getting the impression she was doing anything _but_.

"We were just on our way there after we picked up some new tunes," Rikichi explained. "You could come back to the hotel with us; I'll just…um, _borrow_ some of Shikami's skiing gear. The two of you are about the same height."

"Um, _Shikami_ sounds like a man."

"Eh, details, details. Shikami's been a little restless lately, but he's cool." Rikichi was fairly reassuring, but Chiie's face was carefully neutral.

"You sure you don't want to go, Jou?"

Jou nodded vigorously. She was slowly tiptoeing towards the door. Before she darted out, she added, "Have fun, Tenten!"

Tenten balked at the abandonment. She realized that she could trust these people, but that wasn't the point. Realizing that there was little else she could do at this point (and that she really did want to go), she acquiesced.

"As long as this Shikami guy doesn't have a problem with it…"

**-O-**

Takayori glanced over where his former student Kenji sat with what appeared to be two Leaf nins.

"The cheer over there is simply staggering."

He smiled at the speaker, an eight-year-old boy. "That sounds a little cynical for someone your age," he said good-naturedly, ruffling the boy's hair. Rolling his eyes, the boy merely smoothed his blond hair back into place.

"Yoshida-san is—_was_ always complimenting me on my observational skills," Shukuchi corrected himself.

Takayori frowned. "Yoshida and I were best friends, but some of his…ah, methods and such were always a little on the morally questionable side."

"I like them."

Sighing, Takayori leaned forward and rested his forehead against Shukuchi's. "I was a little less than thrilled when you carved the kanji for your name into your opponent's cheek in last year's chuunin exam."

Shukuchi merely leaned back and shrugged.

"He insulted you – he said something absolutely ridiculous, too! If you're going to resort to slander, at least make it halfway true. I simply recalled what Yoshida-san said about how humiliation works best for preventing negative behavioral patterns. That kid's never going to say something like that again. Granted, just killing him would have been easier…"

"Shu…"

"I'm joking. Killing him wouldn't be worth the effort." With this, he broke into a wide smile, causing Takayori to roll his eyes.

"You're really going to miss him, aren't you, Shu?"

"He was definitely unique," Shukuchi said thoughtfully. "I was really anxious to meet this woman he kept telling me about. He said she would instruct me on how to play the piano."

"He was our country's finest piano player," Takayori muttered in reminiscence. "I wonder why he didn't just start teaching you himself."

"Yoshida's always doing things for mysterious reasons," Shukuchi said quietly.

"What's this woman's name?"

"Rock Jou. I've never heard of her, have you?"

Takayori shook his head negatively. "No, but I can't say I'm very familiar with Yoshida's acquaintances since leaving Hidden Cloud."

"Perhaps Shikami-san knows something about her; he and Yoshida were always very close. I think I'll ask him."

"He left over an hour ago. I don't know where, to be honest."

Shukuchi looked untroubled. "I'll go get my teammates. We'll find him, don't worry."

**-O-**

Gaara sat in the musty basement of the library leafing through documents that were more than five times his age, part of a collection donated long ago by noble families in Konoha before the five shinobi villages had even officially organized. Because of its historical significance, none of the material was permitted to be loaned out; however, his status as Kazekage afforded him access to it. It was research he didn't trust to anyone else, not even his assistant, Mura, or if she'd been along, Temari. Gaara hadn't been there long when he detected a familiar presence.

_Zan Izari._

Gaara figured this was worth an investigation. A few hand seals later and a green eye was materializing a few bookshelves away from the blonde woman two stories up. As he suspected, with her waning shinobi abilities she did not detect his presence.

Izari was perched in what appeared to be a rather uncomfortable chair, paging contently through The Count of Monte Cristo. Kankurou would laugh; she was wearing glasses with red plastic frames. His sister might joke they were "geek chic" or something; her very fine features did more for them than most people's could have. Next to her was a whole stack of books on all subjects: physics, biology, chemistry, calculus, and anatomy.

_Even if she's not a practicing shinobi she's keeping up with her studies. Maybe the arrival of so many Lightning shinobi is making her a bit leery. She's looking even thinner than usual._

Gaara was able to tell a lot from physical appearance. Assessing his prey's status at a glance was an ability every predator had, and every shinobi could do it too if he or she was half-way decent. Zan Izari was tall and thin; while not emaciated she never looked quite as healthy as Jou, even though the latter was not very physically fit. Gaara knew from her muscle tone that Izari exercised regularly but never looked particularly well-rested or well-fed.

The times spent in Jou's house had confirmed his belief that she ate no meat, a highly unusual choice for a shinobi, whose diet usually consisted of the most nutritiously beneficial food. Izari was also quite cranky; his brother would write this off as bitchiness, but Gaara had been through too much himself to write off such a thing as a mere personality flaw. He saw it for what it was: chronic fatigue.

_She's been running on empty for a long time,_ Gaara noted that this was not so visible now, as she even looked comparatively peaceful.

Izari looked up suddenly, her gaze fixed on where Gaara's eye had been only seconds before. He was way ahead of her, but her guard was back up. Picking up her stack of books, she headed up the stairs to another section of the library. Gaara didn't follow; he returned his attention back to his work. Though it had been brief, the encounter had been very enlightening.

_She has to know something more_, he thought darkly. _Eight years of no shinobi activity and suddenly Lightning nins are in the area and it scares her off to a library to brush up on her skills? The reports she wrote were fragmented and incomplete…surely she knows more than she's telling us. I don't have the will or the desire to force information out of her, but it's just one more reminder not to underestimate these ninjas._

Gaara's green eyes moved briefly over the scrolls and books spread out all over the table, thinking how akin all this was to paperwork. He sighed; whether he liked it or not, the answers to his questions were somewhere in the pile of paper before him. It was more than a day's work, that was certain.

_I'm glad I sent Mura out to do some reconnaissance_, he thought tiredly, picking up a book wearily. _Maybe she'll find out more about these Lightning nins._

**-O-**

Jou wished, and not for the first time, that she was in shape as she navigated the streets of Yukimura.

_Damn it, when Izari told me she gave them a list of the possible nins they'd be encountering here, I don't think she seriously considered that they might **all** be here at the same time! _

"_I told Tsunade-sama about Shikami," Izari muttered, "but I don't honestly believe that he'd be involved, regardless of what her intelligence has gathered. It's probably just a false alarm. He cares nothing for political games, especially when it comes to their consequences for shinobi. His childhood sucked just as bad as mine did because of politics…he's always distanced himself from them, even though his father is the Raikage."_

_Oh Izari, you didn't even think that he might be here to mourn his uncle,_ Jou sighed. Y_ou've spent too many years ignoring and suppressing your emotions to realize that for as much as you claim to supposedly loathe Shikami, he's very much in tune with his own emotions and your own. You came here with your guard down and if you're not careful, you'll get caught._

_Izari can hide herself from Chiie and Asazaki, but she sure as hell can't hide her presence from Shikami or Rikichi, not even if she tries. They grew up together, spent nearly every day of ten years together…and they've been practicing shinobi for the past eight years and she hasn't. She needs to get out before one of them finds her!_

Jou's shaky breath barely disturbed the chilly air around her. She'd only been to the library in Yukimura a handful of times, and had never attempted to go there from the record store on the other side of town. As much as she hated to admit it, she was lost.

_Please let me find Izari before Shikami does_, she thought frantically as she ran.

**-O-**

"Hey, you know each other? That's great!"

Mura winced beneath Rikichi's enthusiastic slap on the back. Despite being extremely thin (Mura estimated that he was about one hundred and fifty pounds but he was six feet and six inches tall), he sure packed quite a bit of strength in his frame. She knew that Hatake Kakashi's namesake was a scarecrow, but this man looked a lot more like one than the Copy-Nin did. He wore patched clothing and had messy brown hair held back by a tattered bandana.

"I wouldn't say that Tenten and I are friends," Mura informed him. "But yes, we do know each other." She looked up at Tenten, trying to gauge the woman's reaction. Mura hadn't taken any efforts to hide her presence, and when Jou noticed Tenten's repeated glances to the red-haired woman, she had spoken up quickly. Before Mura knew it, one thing led to another and she was neck-high in Lightning nins.

This could get pretty rough, Mura thought cautiously, eyeing the shorter nin suspiciously. Chiie was tapping her feet anxiously; Mura wasn't sure what to expect.

"So…do you want to come skiing with us?" Chiie grinned at her hopefully.

Mura blinked. She'd gathered that these two Lightning nins were exceptionally friendly, but it was a little foolhardy to trust the barest acquaintance of someone they just met. The man's personality was very laid-back and kind, and the woman was highly-energized and sweet. Mura knew appearances could be deceiving, but the two genuinely seemed to be good people; she wouldn't haved pegged them for ninjas except for the very strong, vibrant auras they possessed. It wasn't something they were making any effort to hide or show off either way.

"I'm rather busy, but thank you," Mura told them politely. Both Chiie and Rikichi looked visibly disappointed. Tenten appeared undecided and Jou simply looked perplexed; she didn't know Mura at all.

"That's too bad, I hope your boss isn't working you too hard," Rikichi said consolingly.

_What does he know about my boss?_ Mura's pulse jumped.

"Yeah, Kage's are hardasses, aren't they?" Chiie smirked. "That's why Asazaki and I moved to Snow Country."

_Lightning nins actually operate out of Snow Country?_ Mura could see Tenten was taking in all this information, too.

"You don't live here, too, do you?" Mura asked Rikichi.

"No, of course not," he shook his head. "I'm just here on vacation."

"Vacation?" Mura didn't picture a snowcap to be an ideal place for relaxation.

"Well, see, there's this guy named Yoshida, and he just died recently," Rikichi began awkwardly but good-naturedly. "A bunch of us are here to say goodbye, I guess you could say. But I'm calling it a vacation because it sounds nicer and it's not like I came here to bawl my eyes out over the guy. Yoshida used to be our instructor years and years ago."

" 'Our' is who?" Mura asked innocently.

"Shikami, Izari, and I," Rikichi explained, "though Izari died a long time ago."

Tenten blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, what she means is, could you tell us what happened," Jou corrected, taking her friends arm tightly and giving her a squeeze.

"Um, sure…" Rikichi trailed off a second before sighing deeply. "I know that people always hear rumors about us…and if they know what's going on, it makes little difference anyway, at least in my opinion. Things have been screwed up for ages, but it only got real bad in the past ten years or so."

"What happened?" Mura asked quietly.

"To Izari," Tenten quickly added, hoping to satisfy her curiosity.

"About eight years ago, the daimyo and his entire family were murdered. Izari-chan was his wife."

Tenten felt her blood run cold; Jou's pressure on her arm was the only thing preventing her from speaking up.

Mura's mind was racing. She did some quick math before venturing, "If she was on your genin team, she'd have only been a teenager at the time. And you're saying that she was married?"

Rikichi nodded. "The aristocracy where I'm from is a funny thing. Arranged marriages are commonplace; Takayori-sensei arranged it after his mother died. Izari got married on her sixteenth birthday, the typical age for this kind of thing."

_Sixteen!?_ Tenten hoped her surprise wasn't apparent, because this was truly shocking.

_I know Tenten didn't have access to the information that our diplomatic groups did, but even **I** didn't know about this,_ Mura thought as she watched the emotions play across the brunette's face. _These Lightning nins are extremely forthcoming about their information…_

"Izari wasn't even married a year before she and her husband were killed," Chiie said quietly. "I still miss her."

Mura didn't miss how still Jou was as Chiie said this. _It must be difficult, trying to keep secrets like you do, _Mura mused_. It's fortunate that grief for Yoshida-san has loosened their tongues…_

"It must have been quite a fight; if Izari was a ninja, it was a wonder she wasn't able to protect her husband," Mura said carefully. She was observing Chiie and Rikichi, but neither seemed that bothered by the turn of the conversation. She got the impression that they didn't have normal boundaries when it came to comfort zones, something she might find oddly refreshing if the situation were different.

"Oh, well, she did try, so I'm told, but she wasn't able to do a whole lot when she died," Rikichi said distantly.

"Why's that?" Apparently they missed the mocking tone, because the answer she got came out of left field.

"Izari was nine months pregnant."

**-O-**

"Shikamaru, you sound upset. What's the matter?"

Shikamaru was leaning his forehead against the wall of the telephone terminal; he could care less about germs, as he was convinced that it would be either Kotabe Kenji or Hyuuga Neji or a combination of both that would be the end of him sooner rather than later. The spikes in chakra were starting to physically affect him.

"It's a long story," Shikamaru muttered. He was surprised at how glad he was to hear Ino's voice; it did a lot to distract him from the homicidal urges that seemed to be striking those in his immediate vicinity.

"Let's start at the beginning, then. Where are you?"

"Hell, pick a circle."

"Cute." Shikamaru smiled at the face he knew Ino was making on the other end.

"We're in the hotel lobby. We're supposed to meet the head of their delegation, but he's running late. I guess it's kind of convenient, though, because Sakura's nowhere to be found, too."

"Forehead girl has a horrible sense of direction."

"I'm beginning to think you're right, because she was supposed to be here ages ago. The hotel where she was having that medical conference wasn't that far away. I hope nothing happened to her."

"She probably just got lost. Anyway, I doubt that's the only thing bothering you."

"Eh, Neji and this Kenji guy are staring each other down. It's more than a little tense here."

"Is Neji still mad at you?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably, but I think he's got bigger fish to fry at the moment. I'm not dumb enough to ask, but I'm pretty sure Neji thinks this guy has something to do with his father's death. He's probably right, too."

"Was it really a good idea to send him up there?"

"Hokage-sama seemed to think so," Shikamaru muttered in disgust. "I have my doubts. I just hate being in the dark about so many things. Something bigger than a chuunin exam is going on here…"

**-O-**

_This is amazing,_ Tenten smiled as she cut a path down the white mountain on her set of borrowed skis. While the jacket was made for someone with broader shoulders, the pants fit perfectly, a fact that Tenten was trying not to frown at. She wasn't an expert when it came to skis but she knew expensive equipment when she saw it.

_This Shikami guy must be loaded_, Tenten thought, glad that the skis she wore were high quality. _Trying something new is always better when the gear's top notch. _

Tenten tried not to let a little jealousy slip into her heart when she saw that Chiie was doing some pretty fancy tricks further down the slope.

_She's been doing this for years, girl_, Tenten reminded herself. _You've only been doing this for two hours. There've been no accidents or embarrassing moments yet, so nip this competition in the bud._

Tenten knew she was always too competitive. It was part of the reason why Neji had ticked her off so badly during Lee's birthday party: he had gone with _Sakura_. It was why she got up insanely early to race the blue-eyed stranger…it was more than his looks, it was the steel in his eyes as he issued a wordless challenge.

_Life can suck but at least I don't let it keep me down,_ she thought wryly. Whether it was intuition or just quick learning, she found that skiing wasn't too terribly difficult. Jou had steadfastly refused; Tenten had guessed rather accurately that the smaller girl wouldn't fare well on a ski slope.

_She's lucky she can manage a level sidewalk in a pair of sandals_, Tenten thought amusedly. Jou was the type to try anything at least once; the fact she'd declined meant she must have had a pretty rough time on the slopes to say no.

"Hey, that was great!" Rikichi smiled at her as she reached the bottom of the hill. "Are you sure you've never done this before?"

"First time," Tenten smiled back.

"No wonder Asazaki likes you so much," Chiie grinned. "You're a quick learner."

"Only when it comes to physical stuff," Tenten admitted. "I was never that great a student."

Chiie shrugged. "Neither was I. Asazaki and Kenji always beat me on every exam."

"Yeah, but you always picked up techniques faster than both of them," Rikichi pointed out. "It's not like you're the weak link or anything. What was your team like, Tenten?"

Tenten hesitated. It was fairly obvious she was a ninja, even without the forehead protector, but it had never been so directly addressed.

"Oh, well my team is made up primarily of taijutsu users," she sighed, a bit of wistfulness creeping into her voice. "They're both incredible."

"You're no slouch, though," Rikichi complimented her. "I haven't met more than a handful of people willing to tackle that slope, let alone a first-time skier. Don't write yourself off."

_He's a really sweet guy,_ Tenten thought warmly. _He's sincere, too, just like Jou-chan is._

"I'm not, it's just that they're really, really amazing. I'm glad I had such a great team."

Rikichi grinned nostalgically. "I miss the good old days. Even though there was a war going on, I still think I was lucky to be with such great people. Shikami is amazingly insightful; I don't think _anything_ gets past him. He always understood me, me and Izari both. And Izari…Izari was special to both of us. She put on this brave face but everyone who took the time to get to know her saw how vulnerable she was. She felt it was her duty to protect us…She tried so hard to be strong all the time; I'm not saying she wasn't, but she just…she just wasn't cut out to be a ninja."

_I guess that always explains why Jou's so protective of her, even when Izari gives off every indication that she can take care of herself,_ Tenten thought.

"Yeah, Izari was a pretty tough sensei, but she was always fair," Chiie chimed in. "She never treated Asazaki and me differently than Kenji, even though it was clear from the beginning that he had a lot more potential than either of us, at least power-wise. His bloodline is the stuff legends are made of yet she spent equal time with all of us; I can honestly say she never favored one of us over the others."

"She got that from her brother," Rikichi said proudly. "Takayori is as fair a person as you'll ever meet. A real nice guy, too."

_Coming from one of the nicest people I ever met, that's saying something_, Tenten thought.

"I can't imagine what it's like, growing up in the face of war," Tenten said quietly. _And Neji has been dealing with the consequences since he was four years old. No wonder I can't understand him._

"Every child was forced to become a shinobi back then," Rikichi said solemnly. "That's a big reason why so many quit and moved away. Not many people are made to be one, I think. I think it's amazing that there are some people out there who know that's what they want to be and never doubt it for a minute."

Tenten smiled as the image of Rock Lee surfaced. Neji, too, came to mind instantly, and surprisingly, herself.

_ANBU wasn't for me, but I never wanted to stop being a ninja_, Tenten realized. _This is what I want to do, but I still want to retain my identity, keep my soul. When I look at Rikichi, he's obviously someone who loves his friends and home, but he's not a soulless man hiding behind a mask, willing to do anything that's commanded of him. He's found a way to do both, to serve his country but stay human…that means I can too._

"So, are you up for another round?" Chiie had picked up on Tenten's competitive streak and injected just enough challenge into her voice to ensure the brunette would say yes.

Tenten grinned at her gamely. "Let's go."

**-O-**

Kankurou was studying a music box locked away behind glass, marveling at the delicate sterling silver details. He had spent countless hours devoted to his puppets, all of which had involved a steady and careful hand. Respect for fine craftsmanship was only natural. And while music boxes weren't really his taste, it was simply exquisite.

_This shop is mostly full of junk_, Kankurou surmised, surprised that it actually contained some tasteful pieces. _Most of this crap caters to the obscenely rich; not many people would notice a few of the real gems in this place._

A startlingly strong aura stopped his musings in an instant. Before the door handle of the shop even turned, Kankurou felt there was an immense presence on the other side. While not immediately frightening like his brother's used to be, it was certainly powerful. He got the odd feeling it was almost mellow, however, reminiscent of someone holding something loosely as opposed to tightly. Whoever it was, they certainly weren't tense or particularly focused.

Kankurou was surprised at how understated he was when the man finally crossed the threshold. He was about 6'2" and possessed a rather ordinary build. His hair was black and his eyes were grey. He was a good looking man (at least as far as Kankurou was willing to admit) but he wasn't immediately striking.

_He looks…remote._

Kankurou settled on the world with some difficultly. He used to think that Sasuke was remote and that was part of the reason why girls were so crazy about him. He later realized that Sasuke was anything but, that Uchiha tried so hard to appear like he didn't care at all but really cared a lot. Kankurou, ever since realizing the depth of his own brother's emotional realm, had since been aware that there was a difference between pretending and true indifference.

_I think I might have finally found the latter. _

"Excuse me, but could you please tell me more about this piece?"

Kankurou balked; did this guy actually think he worked here? He was about to protest when he realized that he'd been speaking to the manager of the store, who apparently had smelled money on him and followed closely behind. The item in question was a pocket watch Kankurou had been admiring earlier.

"Oh, that has been here for ages. Most people overlook it, to be quite honest with you. You have a fine eye to notice such a worthy piece."

The man ignored the flattery but didn't appear to be bothered by it. "May I ask how you acquired it?"

"Oh, it's been years, but I still remember. Samura Yoshida, a man very famous around Yukimura for his conservatory, sold this to me when he first arrived here about eight years ago. In all the years he's been here since, he hasn't come back once."

The man looked thoughtful. "Did he come here alone?"

"No, there was a young lady with him. My first thought at the time was that she was a mistress or girlfriend, but she was too young for that and he treated her more like a daughter than anything. She barely said a word but she was very polite." Sensing the interest of his potential client, he added in a low voice, "it's normally against policy, but I can look up her name if you'd like."

The man shook his head. "That isn't necessary, thank you." There was a calculated pause before he continued. "Did _she_ sell anything?

"Come to think of it, yes she did, one piece."

"Did you sell it?"

"No, it's actually in the case right in front of that gentleman," the manager said, gesturing to where Kankurou stood. "Another overlooked treasure, I'm afraid."

As soon as the man's eyes fell on the music box, something changed in his eyes.

"Do you happen to remember how she acted when she sold this?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying, I don't think she was in her right mind. She sold this after the gentleman sold me the pocket watch, several days later. She came in alone. Halfway through the transaction she almost changed her mind. She still comes in and looks at it, from time to time, which I find odd because it looks as if she has more than enough money to pay for it now."

"Considering the woman, I don't find it odd for her at all," he said quietly. "Would you mind getting it out for me? I'd like to purchase it."

The manager moved towards the case and was stopped.

"Forgive me, I meant the pocket watch. The music box should stay, in case she wishes to return again."

"I don't think she'll be back for awhile." The manager wrapped the pocket watch carefully in tissue paper before placing it in a small box.

"Why do you say that?"

"She just came in a few days ago."

An unreadable look descended upon the man's face. "How did she look?"

The man launched into a litany of romantic similes and such until the man cut him off. "I'm sorry, I should have clarified. I meant how she appeared health-wise, emotionally, et cetera."

"I can't really say. She never stays for long. I try not to pay too much attention to her; she gives off the impression that she doesn't like to be looked at, if you know what I'm saying."

"I do," the man replied dryly, paying the manager at the counter. He took the box and bid the man a good day.

_Somehow I didn't expect to meet one of the Lightning nins on a shopping trip,_ Kankurou thought to himself. _Especially for a pocket watch, of all things…not the usual shinobi fare._

_But neither is your love for the violin_, a nagging little voice reminded him. Curiosity impelled him to follow the mysterious nin, if only for a moment or two, just to see if he was heading back to the hotel. As he swung the door open, he collided violently with a boy on his way inside. Kankurou didn't budge, but the kid went crashing to the ground.

"My apologies, I should have watched where I was going," the boy said politely, deftly picking himself off the ground and brushing snow off his clothes. He brushed past Kankurou quickly and scanned the interior of the store.

"Don't worry about it," Kankurou grumbled absently, not paying him much attention. His eyes were scanning the streets for the black-haired man.

About a foot below his head, the child nearly collided with him again as he darted outside muttering something about "damned elusive shinobi."

"You looking for someone, kid?" Kankurou asked him, interest piqued.

"Yes, thank you, but he's just gone. I regret almost running into you again, but I'm in a hurry, so pardon my abruptness. Please take care."

He bowed his head politely once again before taking off. Kankurou watched the back of the kid's blond head as he quickly navigated the streets in the direction Kankurou presumed the man had traveled just moments before.

_I wonder who that guy was,_ Kankurou mused, turning to make his way back to the hotel. _At any rate, he's pretty popular today. And what a weird kid…A little too nice and articulate for what, a seven or eight year old? Damned Lightning nins aren't like anything I've ever seen before. Why do I get the impression that when we formally meet with them it's going to be anything but predictable?_

**-O-**

Sakura burst through the hotel lobby doors, smoothing down stray pieces of pink hair that had been disturbed by the wind. The trip back had been long and rather confusing; her soggy papers and red nose and ears did little to improve her mood. She practically stormed over to Shikamaru and Neji.

"It is way too cold out there," she huffed, realizing belatedly that her friends were not alone.

"If the elements bother you so much perhaps you should have stayed at home," Kenji murmured quietly, nonchalantly flipping to the next page of his book. "The cold is the least of your problems here, I should think. Perhaps you might want to consider showing up on time before anything else."

_Who the hell are you?!_ Sakura managed to bite her tongue but her glare was withering. Kenji found her easy to ignore; between the pink hair, white coat, and blue scarf, she looked like a giant piece of cotton candy.

"We're waiting on the delegates from Sand and for the leader of our group; it's not her fault the negotiations haven't started yet," a voice said easily. The speaker rounded the corner, blue eyes twinkling merrily. "I hope you you're not letting Kenji get to you, Miss…"

"Sakura," she supplied, glancing down slyly in an effort to escape his stunning smile.

_What a hottie_, she thought dumbly, trying not to stare at him_. I can see his pectoral muscles through his shirt, I swear to God. _

"That's a very lovely name, Sakura-san," he complimented. Shikamaru half expected him to kiss her hand, but he shook it politely. "My name is Nii Asazaki."

"It's nice to meet you," Sakura told him sincerely.

"Likewise. You'll have to forgive Kenji's rudeness. He's unaccustomed to waiting for things."

"Well, they say patience is a virtue," Sakura said sweetly, giving Kenji a pointed look.

Before he could retort, the revolving doors of the hotel swung open to admit Kankurou and Mura. Gaara was close behind, well-dressed but not wearing anything official. Instead of the rich, earthy colors he usually preferred, he was dressed in black.

_Kazekage-sama cleans up nice_, Sakura acknowledged. _So does Kankurou, come to think of it. And then there's Mura, who always looks perfect…_

"Well, since we've nearly got everyone, how about we all head to the site of the meeting?" Asazaki suggested loftily.

"We're not discussing this here?"

"In a hotel? Surely not." Kenji didn't even glance at her. He still hadn't risen from his chair.

"If it's alright with you, we thought we'd use Yoshida-san's office at the conservatory."

"You want to cram us all in an office?" Kankurou blurted out.

"My uncle's office is obviously larger than you think."

"What about the head of your delegation? Shouldn't we wait for him?" Sakura was trying extremely hard to ignore Kenji, but his behavior was starting to piss her off. She got the impression that he was like that so much that it didn't even bother Asazaki anymore.

"Takayori-san will be with us shortly, I assure you."

Every set of eyes went to the door where a boy was brushing snow from his hair casually. Kankurou instantly recognized him from earlier. The two girls he was flanked by, however, were unfamiliar. They were obviously a three-cell genin team.

"Shukuchi-sama, what's up with Takayori-sensei?" Asazaki addressed the boy.

"This is somewhat embarrassing, but he's currently procuring the keys to Yoshida-sensei's office."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot," Asazaki muttered absently. "At any rate, I suggest we all head to the conservatory in the meantime. Takayori will have the keys for us by the time we get there. It will be a lot more comfortable than anything the hotel can provide, I promise. Any and all formal introductions can wait until then."

"Why not just ask that we all meet there instead of the hotel?" Shikamaru asked him.

"Takayori-sensei didn't want to make you all run around Yukimura trying to find the conservatory in case you decided against convening there. The hotel was a convenient place to meet up and he had planned to propose going to the conservatory himself, at least until he got detained. If any of you wish to remain here or have any objections against going, feel free to decline. We can always hold talks here if it makes you more comfortable."

_Wow, you could hear the veritable fucking pin drop,_ Shikamaru thought grimly. No one said anything, glancing at each other carefully for the tiniest hint of a reaction. _These Lightning nins are pretty nice, but they're straight to business._

**-O-**

_I can't believe how much fun I've had today_, Tenten thought, ducking a snowball lobbed by Chiie. Her aim wasn't bad, but Tenten deduced that the girl's real strength was in her legs. _Jou-chan mentioned you were a dancer; no wonder you thought that ski slope was a piece of cake._

"Hey, Tenten, you're really good at this!" Rikichi's comment was sincere; he'd gotten nine out of ten snowballs to his torso. The tenth had hit Chiie when he used her as a human shield, a move that wasn't so popular with the petite redhead.

"Jerk-face!"

_Jerk-face?_ Tenten paused mid-throw to watch Chiie chase Rikichi around in circles. Her legs are considerably shorter, but she was gaining on him as the chase progressed. _ They're such a cute couple. Not quite what I'm looking for, but very adorable._

Tenten laughed out loud when Rikichi tripped over the pile of snowballs Chiie had made a few minutes before. Every passerby merely shook his or her head, but Tenten genuinely didn't care what they thought. It was nice to indulge in a little bit of silliness, especially with two people so honest and kind.

"I'll teach _you_ to treat a lady like that!" Chiie had finally caught him and was in the process of _climbing_ him when they paused. Tenten felt it too; familiar chakra signatures were approaching.

It was a large group of ninjas approaching. Tenten recognized Gaara and Kankurou's silhouette immediately. She caught a glimpse of Sakura's pink hair and Shikamaru's spiky head. But what she wasn't expecting was the blue and intense gaze of the mysterious runner from that morning. For a long moment, they held each other's gaze, at least until a low voice ripped her attention away.

"Tenten."

The brunette stilled. The voice, the familiar timbre and inflection…She knew it was only her name, a word she'd heard from his lips countless times, but the way it made her knees weak never changed, not in all the years she knew him.

_How silly am I, still getting goose bumps over something so simple?_ Tenten sighed. Steeling herself, she looked into white irises.

"Hello, Neji."

**-O-**

**Author's Notes:** Finally finished with this chapter! What a bitch to write. I think I need to up the rating for language. It's going to get a lot worse. Well…now that Neji finally knows Tenten's in Snow Country (Sakura conveniently forgot to tell him…) he's going to have an interesting time trying to stay focused. I'm sorry the next few chapters are information overload, but the manga is too, at least at the beginning of every new arc. If you review (and I hope you do), please be nice


	21. Reunion

**Reunion**

_Sonnie_

"Good, he's finally got a name to go with the face."

"Huh?" Tenten glanced at the young blond boy in front of her. "What are you talking about?"

"All Asazaki has talked about this entire week is 'blah, blah, blah, _hot brunette_, blah, blah, blah' et cetera." Shukuchi muttered. "Honestly, it was like he'd never seen an attractive woman before."

Tenten smiled at the tiny patches of pink creeping into Asazaki's face. "Jogging hottie in the flesh, huh?"

"You told her?" Asazaki groaned, glaring hard at Rikichi and Chiie.

"Tou-chan's got a big mouth," the little blonde girl that had been standing next to Shukuchi grinned, shrieking as Rikichi scooped her up. The action had Chiie clinging to his neck for dear life.

"Wait, you're her dad?" Tenten blurted out.

"Yeah, this is my oldest daughter, Sachi-chan," Rikichi showed her off proudly to Tenten. The girl was about six, a few years younger than her teammates. She was, however, quite tall for her age.

"You have _more_ children?" Tenten asked the pair.

"Well, Rikichi does, but I sure don't." Chiie laughed as Rikichi dropped her gently on the ground. At Tenten's confused look, she smiled playfully. "You didn't think we were a couple or anything, did you?"

Tenten blinked. "Actually…"

Chiie and Rikichi laughed as if this were the funniest thing in the world. Sachi laughed too, her young voice as dulcet and clear as a bell.

"What is going on here?" Sakura asked to no one in particular.

"I have no clue," Shikamaru sighed.

Neji was carefully observing Tenten around this Asazaki fellow. The latter was clearly infatuated, that much was true; his demeanor was completely different than before.

_It seems she has that effect on people, _Neji noted dourly as Tenten's smile made Asazaki smile back.

"This little reunion is nice and all, but aren't we scheduled to be somewhere?"

Kenji's bored drawl sapped a great deal of cheer from the group. Rikichi rolled his eyes, Chiie ignored him, and Tenten was about to snap back before Asazaki put a hand on her shoulder. After a few hurried whispers between the four, Chiie, Rikichi, and Tenten were off, heading towards some unknown destination.

"Where are they going?" Neji was somewhat relieved Sakura asked the question that he'd been thinking too.

"They're going back to the hotel to get changed and they're going to meet us at the conservatory tonight."

"Why? None of them are involved in any of the official proceedings." Kenji's dismissive tone made Sakura bristle.

"Well, I thought that after the talks we could take advantage of the beautiful recreational facilities." Asazaki's smile was placid as he rejoined the group.

"You sound really cheerful all of the sudden." For the first time, Shukuchi's dark-haired teammate spoke.

"That's because I just scored myself a racquetball match with Jogging Hottie, Amaya-chan." Asazaki stretched leisurely; Sakura was reminded of a black panther the way his sleek muscles rippled. He patted Amaya on the head, something she shrugged off with practice ease.

"Now that you know her name, I think it's best you use it," Shukuchi muttered. "At any rate, we've allowed ourselves to be delayed too much. We'd best hurry there or Takayori will be left waiting."

_What a bossy kid_, Kankurou thought grumpily. He glanced over at his brother, who was observing the child stoically. He noticed Mura was doing the same thing.

_Those two reason along very similar lines_, he noted. _They're really well-suited for working together._

"What's the big deal about this conservatory?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's the most prestigious school of music in the country," Shukuchi replied. "It's not only a music conservatory; recently, facilities have been added to accommodate art and dance. Chiie is a teaching assistant to the head ballet instructor and Asazaki helps teach several painting courses."

"You're a painter?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"I actually wanted be a tenor saxophone instructor, but Yoshida-san said I wasn't skilled enough yet," Asazaki shrugged good-naturedly. "I don't feel that bad about it, other than the fact he's been practically begging Jou to teach piano there since she was fifteen. Every other music instructor is at least thirty."

"The only thing stricter than the requirements for students is the requirements for instructors," Shukuchi added.

The sudden flare of chakra was immense but the next words spoken were soft. "Ojichan always demanded the best."

_Where the hell did he come from?_ Shikamaru stared hard at the figure who suddenly appeared beside a rather unruffled Shukuchi. The boy merely glanced up at the dark-haired man, the same man that Kankurou recognized from the antique shop.

"Shikami-sensei, it's impolite to startle people," Shukuchi told him simply.

"I'm sorry, Shukuchi-sama."

Shukuchi raised an eyebrow. "That's doubtful."

Shikami smiled at the boy's rather ironic look. "Are you saying you don't believe me?"

As the two bantered back and forth, the ninja teams from both Konoha and Suna were puzzled. Izari had painted Shikami out to be unstable and dangerous, yet here was, joking around with a kid.

_Considering that the man killed her husband, she'd understandably be biased against him,_ Mura thought. _But he doesn't seem that unusual at all._

"This is too weird," Sakura whispered to Shikamaru and Neji. "He's too…normal…ish."

"We've only known him for forty five seconds," Shikamaru pointed out.

"I don't think any of us expected this," Neji said quietly.

Any reply to that was cut off as Asazaki took off towards a lone figure running down the street. The woman wore a green coat, black pants, and a red hat.

"Jojo!"

Asazaki scooped Jou up in his arms, twirling her around until she was dizzy and begging him to stop. She laughed as she fended off his bear hug, a rather futile effort.

"Asazaki!" she grinned, messing up his thick, black hair and giving him rather silly kisses on both cheeks.

_Wow, this guy's pretty popular with the ladies,_ Shikamaru noted drolly.

"Jojo, I left, like, three voicemails on your machine. You really need to change your message…I think you hit record because I hear a bunch of talking in the background…"

Kenji sighed impatiently; he made no effort to make it discreet. Asazaki looked affronted as he lowered Jou to the ground. She glanced at Kenji and then at Shikami – something that wasn't quite recognition passed between them before both Shikami and Jou's eyes traveled back to Kenji and Asazaki. Kenji's gray eyes met Asazaki's blue ones for one very harrowing, tense moment before Asazaki turned casually away and faced Jou again.

"I know your birthday was a few weeks back…wanna go out and celebrate?"

Jou laughed, her feet slowly leading her away from the group. Her smile was genuine but her body language was anxious. "The last time I partied with you I ended up with a tattoo."

"But it's a really great tattoo!" Asazaki called after her, throwing up his hands in confusion when she saw she was walking away.

"Call me later and talk me into it; I've got to go! It was nice running into you!"

"Yeah, you too," Asazaki's frowned when she was out of sight, something about her behavior was a little off. He saw the odd looks he was getting from his audience. "Jojo's a sweetheart."

"So that's the girl that Yoshida-san wants me take lessons from," Shukuchi said after a moment. He resumed the walk towards the conservatory. "She doesn't look like much."

"It's unwise to judge based on looks," Shikami told him solemnly. His eyes were still fixed on where Jou had run off. "If Ojichan thought she was good enough to teach at his school, then you can be sure that you would learn things from her that you couldn't from him."

"What could _she_ possibly teach Shukuchi-sama?" Kenji asked archly.

"Well, I know Jou-chan could teach _you_ some manners," Asazaki said breezily, smiling at his former teammate sweetly.

Amaya rushed forward and grabbed her brother's arm, steering him away from Asazaki and what was looking to be a fight.

_Wow, things are more than a little tense between these guys_, Kankurou observed.

_These guys are lucky they can keep it together,_ Shikamaru thought grimly. _Why on Earth were they trusted with such a delicate mission? _

"What's up with you?" Asazaki prompted Shikami, who hadn't resumed walking with the rest of them.

"That woman looked a little familiar," Shikami muttered distantly. "What's her full name?"

"Rock Aijou. But I didn't tell you that."

"Aijou?" Shukuchi crinkled his nose in distaste.

Asazaki laughed. "Yeah, her name means 'true love.' "

Shukuchi looked positively disgusted. "How utterly…_sentimental_."

"She's never gone by her full name," Asazaki reassured him. "She dislikes it just as much as you, kid."

"Did you really give her a drunken tattoo?" Sachi asked him curiously.

Asazaki shook his head and grinned. "I was lucky I could stand, let alone hold a tattoo gun. I passed out before it happened, to be quite honest. It was Yoshida-sensei that did it."

Shikami stopped mid-step. Sakura barely managed to avoid a collision.

"What did you say?"

"I said that your uncle was the one who did the tattoo. He did a nice job, too," Asazaki pointed to Gaara's forehead. "It kinda looks like that, only it's right here." He gestured to the left side of his ribcage. "It's the kanji she always drops from her name, and Yoshida insists that even if she doesn't like it, it's still a part of her. Naturally, he decided to 'gift' unto her a permanent reminder."

"What a nice guy." Sachi's tone made it quite clear she didn't view it as such.

"Hey, your dad's got about five or six tattoos, so I wouldn't knock 'em, girly." Asazaki nudged her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with a little ink…even if it's done while the recipient is under the influence of alcohol."

"Sounds like quite a party," Kankurou smirked.

"Well, it was Jou's eighteenth birthday, and eighteen is the legal drinking age here in Yukimura…"

"Translation: you're lucky you woke up with all of your money and clothes on," Shukuchi grumbled.

"You are one jaded kid," Asazaki muttered. "I'm glad I wasn't like you when I was your age."

"You're just jealous because I'm on a team with two girls."

"So? You're too young to appreciate them as women anyway. Kids these days think they know everything."

"You're only twenty years old. I'm pretty sure Yoshida-san would consider you a kid."

As the two bickered, Shikamaru leaned towards Sakura and whispered, "I can't believe the old hag thought we'd be the ones causing problems here."

Sakura nodded, relieved when she saw a sign for the conservatory. It was like stepping into another world – Konoha and Suna had no architecture or plant life like it, nor where they covered in a layer of pristine snow. The grounds were immense; Yoshida had deep pockets, proof was before her.

"Ojichan had this building fixed up and added on to," Shikami told the group. "The conservatory has actually been around for a long time, but many changes accompanied his arrival, the most extreme of which are not visible on the outside."

_This place is fucking huge,_ Kankurou thought.

The exterior of the building was an unusual white stone that Kankurou had never seen before. The ceilings were high and vaulted; as he stepped through the entrance he glanced up and noticed that the even the rafters were immaculately clean. The foyer alone was massive – Shikamaru estimated that it was larger than his apartment. Several of the students nodded to Asazaki respectfully as he walked past. While Kankurou sensed they were curious about the foreign nins, the children didn't stare.

"Sensei!"

A fourteen or fifteen year old boy carrying a cello hailed Asazaki.

"Asazaki-sensei, Takayori-sama is waiting upstairs in Yoshida-sensei's office."

"Has he been waiting long, Hajime-san?"

The teen shook his head. "He just arrived a few minutes ago."

"How's Tomiko holding up?"

"She's doing well, at least as well as can be expected. She's spent all day preparing for this meeting; I'm glad that her preparations weren't in vain," Hajime's pale eyes scanned the group casually but briefly. "I have to get ready for tomorrow's concert. I hope to see you there, sensei."

Asazaki smiled and nodded as his student hurried off with his cello.

"What floor is this office on?" Mura inquired.

"The tenth," Asazaki replied.

Kankurou barely managed to stifle a groan before he realized that the glass enclosure they were headed towards was actually an elevator.

_This guy had some serious cash,_ Shikamaru noted tightly. All twelve people in their group would fit comfortably in the elevator, something that he was starting to half-way expect when it came to this Yoshida guy.

"Shikami, where are you going?"

Shukuchi had paused to question the older man, who stood a slight distance away from the elevator.

"I remembered a matter that needs attending to."

"You're not going to participate in the talks?"

"I'm not even here in any official capacity," Shikami reminded him gently. "I'm only here because of Ojichan."

Shukuchi seemed to accept this response and boarded the elevator. He gave Shikami a courteous nod goodbye before the doors closed. He didn't behave like any child Sakura had ever seen, not even a shinobi child.

"Did Yoshida-san ever serve as your ninja sensei?" she asked him when the elevator started to move.

"He was primarily a music instructor, but he had some very valuable insight to offer on being a shinobi," Shukuchi replied cryptically. The tiniest smirk that twisted the corner of his mouth sent chills down Sakura's spine.

_Maybe it's a good thing this Yoshida guy's not around for us to deal with,_ Sakura ventured. _Someone with this kind of money as a possibly enemy is not someone I'd like to think about. But since he's dead, his money is probably going to his nephews, one of which is a total asshole._

"Not many people outside the conservatory ever see Yoshida-sensei's office," Asazaki said quietly. "In fact, most people that attend don't even see it. This will only be my second time up here.

"Are we supposed to feel honored?" Neji's tone was icy.

Asazaki raised a brow; he hadn't expected him to be so directly confrontational.

"Yes, you are."

The elevator doors slid open. The long hallway was decorated with various black and white photographs. One was of Asazaki, Kenji, and Chiie, obviously a genin portrait based on their ages – none of them looked older than eight. Gaara recognized nearly all of the ninjas as Lighning nins they'd met earlier. His eyes lingered on one of Rikichi and what must have been his other children: Sachi and two dark-haired twin girls were smiling happily. It was the kind of family photograph that Gaara had never experienced.

"Things are never as good in real life as they are in pictures," Kankurou muttered, probably thinking the same thing.

"Pictures are records of perfect or not-so-perfect moments," a man replied from the end of the hall, "and occasionally, of perfect or not-so-perfect people."

Sakura felt her jaw drop when she saw the speaker. It was the shinobi from the medical conference. He smiled at her. Sakura would be hard pressed to deny that Asazaki had a blatantly sexual allure, but this man had an intensely euphoric but oddly serene effect on her. His chakra wasn't directly influencing her, but it seemed to infuse the air. And while she could put her finger on it, she knew that others present were meeting him for the first time and trying to explain the tiny shift in the atmosphere.

Takayori opened the door and gestured for everyone to walk inside. The first thought that jumped into Sakura's head was that something was wrong with her eyes; she realized that there wasn't a speck of color in the room, only black and white. The large windows only revealed acres of snow covered trees and a large, frozen lake, hardly the vibrant jolt of color she'd been hoping for.

_This room is so…cold_, Mura decided neutrally. _Even the furniture is colorless. I recognize the glass from the table as a Suna export…it not only costs a small fortune, but the amount of money it must have cost for the shipping was probably just as much._

The ninjas from Suna, Konoha, and Kumo filed in slowly, taking seats at the table that both allowed them to remain with their parties and study their opponents. Even the Lightning nins were studying the room carefully, out of habit or curiosity or perhaps a bit of both.

The absence of color didn't surprise Neji one bit. The Hyuuga household was bereft of color for similar reasons. _Colors can be a distraction_, _as they make it just a little bit harder for doujutsu users to concentrate, especially when their abilities are developing…or waning._

"Tomiko-san, what are you doing?"

A rather harassed-looking woman (Yoshida's secretary, Sakura assumed) was busy struggling to carry a stack of framed pictures out of the room.

"This artwork is…_inappropriate_ for a political meeting," she sniffed, shooting Asazaki a disdainful look; a nude charcoal drawing of him was on top of the pile.

"Tomiko-san, that's not necessary. They're all very tasteful portraits."

"But half of these people are in this room, or at least in this town. It isn't proper."

"You may remove them if it makes you feel better," Takayori conceded. "But please put them back when you're done. Yoshida doesn't like his things moved without his permission."

_This guy's **dead**_, Kankurou thought dryly. _They're acting like he's going to come back from the grave and punish them for moving things in his office. Geez, this place is huge. I don't even think the council room is this large back in Suna…_

"Good afternoon. My name is Ikonji Takayori. I'd like to thank you for coming all this way; it will be worth the trip, I promise. This conservatory is far more comfortable and personable than a hotel; I thought it might be a welcomed change."

_He's very…diplomatic,_ Shikamaru observed. _But he's sincere, and he's right about one thing…this office is a lot better than some conference room the hotel could have cooked up. But it also serves to show us how much wealth the country possesses, even someone who fled it eight years ago._

"Kazekage-sama, would you please introduce the other members of your group to us?" Takayori requested politely.

"This is my brother, Kankurou, and my attaché, Mura."

"And Sakura-san, would you please do the same?"

"Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru."

"This is Nii Asazaki and Kotabe Kenji," both men nodded in turn as Takayori introduced them. "And this is Yuu Sachi and Kotabe Amaya."

There was a slight pause.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Shukuchi asked.

"You're quite capable of introducing yourself, Shukuchi."

"Very well. I am Zan Shukuchi, the daimyo of Lightning Country."

**-O-**

"I've never played racquetball before," Tenten admitted to Chiie as they traveled back to the hotel.

"You'll do fine, judging by how well you did on the slopes today," Chiie said easily. She was about to continue when she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Shikami, it's not nice to sneak up on people," Rikichi sighed.

"It seems I've been accused of that a lot today," the man said quietly. He gave Tenten a very intent look; she remembered she was wearing his skiing clothes and blushed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have borrowed these without your permission."

"Oh, it wasn't a big deal that I let Tenten borrow your jacket and pants, was it, Shikami?" Rikichi asked sheepishly.

"It doesn't bother me. I must say, they look better on you than on me," Shikami gave her a small smile, which she returned. No one had ever complimented her in quite that way, almost as if his observations were purely objective.

"Thank you."

"So what's up with you?" Rikichi asked him. "You look a little preoccupied."

Tenten got the feeling most people wouldn't dare say a thing like that to him. She noticed that Chiie was unusually quiet and tense beside her, her green eyes fixed on Shikami as he answered the question.

"You play in a band with a woman named Rock Jou, don't you? Have you seen her recently?"

Rikichi raised a brow in surprise. "Um, I saw her a few hours ago, but that was before we went skiing. What do you want with her?"

"I just wanted to ask her some questions about my uncle, that's all."

"Oh, well, sorry, man, but I can't help you out. You might want to try the other side of town…she's renting a place there."

"I thought she usually stays at Ojichan's house."

"Eh, it probably feels weird to stay in your dead friend's house, wouldn't you think?"

"Of course. Thanks for the information." Before Shikami departed, he smiled at Tenten. "It was nice to have met you."

"Thank you, it was nice to meet you too," Tenten replied automatically. And while she certainly hadn't told a lie, there was just something so _different_ about him.

As Shikami walked off, Chiie's tension seemed to melt away. Only when he was completely gone did her normal energy and spunk return.

"He was a little off, don't you think, Chiie?" Rikichi asked her after a moment.

Chiie shrugged. "He's always kind of off, if you ask me."

"You think he'll be able to find her with those very vague directions you just have him?" Tenten asked Rikichi skeptically.

"Yeah, I think he was just humoring us when he told us who he was looking for," Rikichi told her. "He's perfectly capable of finding her on his own."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The Samura family breeds all kinds of birds; they're known specifically for their raptors."

"Hunters." Tenten's voice was flat.

"Yep. Trust me…if Shikami wants to find her, he will. She should just be glad that all he wants is to talk. Most people aren't so lucky."

"Are you sure she'll be okay?"

"She'll be fine, I promise."

**-O-**

_Daimyo? He's an eight year old child,_ Shikamaru scoffed, staring hard at the blond boy disbelievingly.

_This is Izari's son, from what Mura told me,_ Kankurou thought. _I guess he kind of looks like her—_

"I promise that I'll still be around after our talks conclude. Feel free to stare all you want later, right now we have business to attend to."

–_He certainly does act like her, though,_ Kankurou finished dryly. _This kid has grown up thinking his mother is dead, and she's spent the last eight years of her life thinking he's dead, too. No wonder she's a little on the frosty side. _

"I assure you I have the diplomatic authority to do whatever I wish, and what I desire is open communication with Wind Country and Fire Country. I do not presume to ask for an alliance; such assumptions are dangerous to make after so many years of silence. I do, however, want the path to be open to us in the future."

"Why?"

Shukuchi didn't flinch at Neji's very flat, unfriendly tone.

"I'm sure you've heard all the rumors about our Country. We're in the middle of a civil war, I won't lie to you."

"What do we possibly gain to benefit from becoming involved, especially with what could be the losing side?" Neji persisted.

"Money, what else?" Shukuchi returned coldly. "It 'makes the world go 'round,' does it not? And for as much as you might not want to 'get involved,' I'm sure you would for the right price. Everyone does."

Shikamaru sighed. "You're just—"

Before he could continue Shukuchi held up a hand that stopped him mid-sentence. "Before you go any further, let me tell you something. Being a child does not make me a kid. Do not treat me like one."

There immediate and very tense, very awkward moment of silence that followed was thankfully brief.

"Are you proposing that you pay us to participate in the chuunin exams, because as it sounds now, that's the only way we're going anywhere near your country," Sakura told him coolly. "I don't think there's enough money in the entire world that would convince us to go if things are as bad as I hear."

Shukuchi took a deep breath to calm himself before answering. "Hidden Cloud has lots of old money. This conservatory is only a tiny fraction of the wealth that Yoshida had before leaving Lightning Country. His country home alone employs ninety one workers and the wealth of his estate has been supporting them for the past eight years, despite the fact he has not returned home once in that time period."

_Even the Kazekage's office has had to make cutbacks, and this Yoshida guy's still paying a bunch of people he doesn't even see to run a house he doesn't even live in?_ Kankurou frowned. _How the hell does this guy have all that money? _

"Yoshida-sensei left all of his money back in Lightning Country, yet so soon after arriving here he amassed the funds to transform this prestigious conservatory into something even more amazing. He has the rich and famous eating out of his hand here in Yukimura; it's certainly not the poor who can afford to attend concerts and plays and operas."

"Charming the rich, an admirable trait," Shikamaru muttered.

"But it's a valuable one," Asazaki said tightly, his expression unreadable.

"Now that my uncle is dead, his money is being distributed as per his last will and testament," Kenji explained. "All of his wealth from this region is staying here in the conservatory; there's no way around that. But the money he's got back in Hidden Cloud will be split between my siblings and myself."

"And the rich keep getting richer," Kankurou muttered.

Kenji shrugged. "That's just how things are."

"Back on topic, I have a very simple, straight-forward proposal for you all," Shukuchi began in earnest. "I'm not going to pay you, not to come and participate in a chuunin exam. I refuse to pay shinobi to basically come into our country and spy on us. But it is in your best interest to come. If we become allies we have the funds and the desire to employ shinobi from your respective countries. Business is business, as they say. But if we do not become allies and power switches hands in our country, you can bet that they'll turn their sights on you. If Hidden Cloud falls, you're all in danger."

"This wasn't quite the proposal we were expecting," Sakura admitted grimly.

"I don't have time for some flimsy veneer of civility or decorum," Shukuchi told her gravely. "I'm telling you exactly what is going on and exactly what to expect. I can't have you backing out half-way through."

"I can't believe your Raikage has agreed to all of this." Gaara was eying the boy distrustfully.

"I'm the daimyo, he hasn't got a choice."

"I heard a rumor that daimyos in your country aren't quite the revered figures that they should be," Neji said icily.

Shukuchi raised an eyebrow. "I should have expected this attitude from you, but you're correct. My father, the former daimyo, was murdered eight years ago by Shukuchi."

"You two are awfully friendly despite that." Shikamaru's voice was low and even.

"Well, it's not as if _I_ knew him. He died before I was born. Shikami undertook the assignment from the Third Party leader."

"If he's working for the other side, then why do you trust him?"

"Because I have my reasons, reasons that need not be discussed here. He's on our side—"

"—But he killed your father—"

"—And my mother, Shikami killed them both, but he didn't kill me. Yoshida-sensei was there and helped deliver me. Before he left Yoshida-sensei was the most prominent neo-natal surgeon in the country. He arrived in time to save my life and departed Lightning Country shortly afterwards. Shikami took me to my uncle Takayori."

_This Yoshida guy's been keeping a lot of secrets_, Shikamaru mused. _He, along with Jou, have been hiding Izari's presence from these Lightning nins for the past eight years. That's not an easy feat. _

"Shikami convinced the Third Party leader that killing the daimyo was in his best interest. That was a lie; when it became known that Third Party was responsible for killing the daimyo, a great deal of their support fled. It's been slowly rebuilding since, but my father's death bought our hidden village another eight full years to regain strength."

"And you're sure that Shikami's loyal to you?" Gaara asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" he persisted.

"He told me he was."

Kankurou snorted. "Great answer."

"You don't have to believe in my reasoning, but I do ask that you believe _me_," Shukuchi said firmly. "Shikami doesn't harm people out of spite. In fact, there are people that he would die to protect, and I know for a fact I am one of them. He's got a notorious reputation for what he's done, but despite being known as a monster, a man is still a man. It doesn't make his heart any less human."

_What an odd thing for anyone to say, much less a child,_ Sakura thought. _He's not as serious as say, Neji or Sasuke, but Shukuchi is definitely on the sober side for an eight year old. He doesn't act like a kid at all…_

Takayori stood. "I suggest we take a recess. This is a lot of information to digest. If you need anything, feel free to ask myself or Tomiko-san downstairs. We'll reconvene in one hour, how does that sound?"

**-O-**

_Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…_

Jou fought to retain consciousness, clutching at her mangled arm, her right hand covered in blood. She stared up at Shikami weakly, eyes wide, as he approached. Just as he reached out to touch her, her world went black.

**-O-**

"Damn, I forgot something back in the room," Rikichi stopped in the middle of the street, grimacing in irritation. "Why don't you and Tenten just head right over to the conservatory without me? I'll be right behind you."

"What did you forget?"

"My new wrist band!"

Tenten blinked. "You're going over twenty blocks back to the hotel for a wrist band?"

"It's a present from one of my daughters. I told her I'd use it in my next racquetball game."

Tenten realized that Rikichi just wasn't the type to lie about anything, so she wasn't particularly surprised at his reasoning.

"Sure, just hurry back, alright?" Chiie grabbed Tenten's wrist. "I'll race you to the conservatory!"

**-O-**

Izari stared longingly at the stack of books beside her. Since her address in Yukimura wasn't permanent, she was not permitted to check out books overnight. Yoshida, when he had been living, had repeatedly told her that he could get her any book she wanted; bothering with a library wasn't necessary.

_Yoshida-sensei, you never understood that sometimes I just want to do things the way that everyone else does,_ Izari thought wistfully. _Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can't buy you that wonderful feeling of normalcy. Not that you ever knew what that was, sensei._

Sighing, she put her books back on the shelves where she got them; she never liked putting them on the cart for the librarian to put back. It was getting darker outside, even though it was only five o'clock in the afternoon.

_Poor Jou-chan's probably wondering where I went. Tenten kind of rattled my cage just by mentioning Kankurou. The last thing I need is to grow attached to more people. Jou-chan's bad enough…I'm just glad that touring with the band is over._

Izari always enjoyed the relative anonymity that Yukimura offered. There wasn't much of an audience for pop music; the conservatory and the Yukimura Philharmonic Orchestra were the only musical establishments with any credibility. Classical music was the only music in Yukimura, at least as far as public appeal went.

_I guess this means I have to dust off the old viola, now that the Green Dragons are no longer a group, _she thought wryly, the wet, chilly air a welcome change from the hot and dry library. She took a deep breath, pulling the air into her lungs evenly and pushing it out slowly until she felt a familiar presence. She gasped, almost falling to her knees.

_Shikami…_

Izari clutched her chest in an effort to slow her racing heart. She was starting to hyperventilate, something she hadn't done in years, not since she'd been a shinobi. She never handled surprises well and this was no exception, aside from the fact she felt much worse.

_I knew it was too perfect, I knew I wouldn't be able to come here without seeing one of them, without one of them seeing me,_ Izari thought dismally, waving off the aid of people who bent down to help her.

"I'm fine, thanks, I just need some air," she gasped brokenly, planting her hands firmly on the icy sidewalk as she forced herself to breathe deeply. She felt Shikami's presence hovering just inside her range, just enough for her to detect him.

_Ah, he wants me to come to him,_ Izari thought, smiling darkly. She climbed to her feet and stumbled off, much to the shock of the pedestrians around her. The air was no longer cold and the ground no longer icy…everything outside his presence was suddenly rendered meaningless. She turned onto a relatively unoccupied street and saw a familiar figure at the end of it.

_I'm not ready for this,_ Izari thought dismally, wanting more than anything to throw herself on the ground and cry. Her strength was waning with every step she took towards him. She didn't dare look into his eyes, not until she was close enough to really, really see them.

"Izari."

"Shikami."

Silence stretched on between them as their eyes took in every detail.

_She's so thin,_ Shikami thought distantly, _even thinner than when she got promoted to jounin and her mother had just died. _

_Just as grim as ever,_ Izari thought wryly, _at least on the surface…_

Shikami cleared his throat. "Before you say anything, I have to apologize for—"

"For killing my husband and my son? I'm sorry, an apology isn't going to cut it."

"I wouldn't dare apologize for that; I don't want forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. It's about something else. You see, I was alerted to your presence here when I visited an antiques store. I eventually found a woman named Rock Jou, and…"

Izari tensed when he reached into his pocket. What he pulled out was hardly the kunai or shuriken she'd been expecting. It was much worse.

A frighteningly strong, unreasonable rage filled her. Without giving a thought at all to the fact she'd barely done any shinobi training since she'd left Hidden Cloud, she charged him. The brown stains turned red as the sliver of metal that he'd been holding fell on the snow.

"You bastard, what the hell is wrong with you? She's a _civilian_. I bet you just fucking ripped that thing out without a thought at all, didn't you?!"

"I didn't know what it was," Shikami insisted. "She startled me; that doesn't happen very often, so I reacted instinctively. When I detected the metal I assumed it was a weapon, civilian or no."

"So you just yanked it to you like a magnet, am I right?"

Shikami's silence confirmed her suspicion. She grabbed the front of his jacket.

"Goddamn it, Shikami, you might have screwed up her arm permanently! She's a musician – what is she going to do with a busted arm?"

"She'll be fine," Shikami assured her, in the straightforward and honest manner he always had with her. It pissed her off that he wasn't ever condescending, that he never really tried to make her act the way she did, that it was her _own_ fault.

"That's more than you can say," Izari felt the distantly familiar sensation of her arm hair rise as the lightning built up in her palm. She felt the energy pour over her hand and prepared to send her clenched fist into Shikami's right eye.

"Izari!"

Izari paused midair at the sound of a familiar voice. The lightning currents died around her palm as she straightened up. A choked sob escaped her throat as she turned in anguish to face the speaker.

**-O-**

Kankurou paced the empty studio that the Suna delegates had decided to meet in and discuss their progress. It had been Yoshida's personal music room and was completely lined with a large fish tank.

_It'd take a small fortune just to heat these tanks_, Kankurou thought. _What a waste of money, mporting all these silly fish…_

"The head delegate is a pretty cool guy," Kankurou stated, referring to his demeanor rather than his social status. "He's a lot more relaxed than anyone else in that room."

"The daimyo is very emotional, I think, though he controls them well for someone his age," Gaara observed. He was in the dead center of the room; water made him uncomfortable, and the fact it was being used in what he considered a distastefully frivolous and wasteful way, he wanted to avoid close proximity to it.

"I can't believe he's Izari's son," Mura muttered. "If those Lightning nins find out that she's still alive, that she's _here_…"

"Shikami _does_ know," Kankurou said absently, remembering what happened at the antiques store. "Apparently when she first arrived here eight years ago, she sold something very unique. He saw it in a shop earlier today and recognized it."

"That's why he isn't here right now, I'm betting," Mura said. "He's probably looking for her."

"The only connection she still had to any Lightning nin was Yoshida," Gaara said. "But he was killed almost a month ago."

"The only person that knows about her would be Jou…" Kankurou trailed off, not liking where this was going. "She was in an awful hurry when we saw her last. She was probably on her way to deliver a warning."

"Against a shinobi, especially one as strong as Shikami, she probably didn't make it that far," Mura said quietly.

"He seems to genuinely admire Yoshida," Kankurou reminded them. "I don't think he'd go killing one of his uncle's best friends, do you?"

"I don't buy Shukuchi's story about Shikami intentionally sparing him," Gaara said gravely. "It just doesn't seem…logical."

"Well, if Izari knows her former teammates as well as she says, and I'm venturing that she knows a lot more than we think, and she says that the man is really unpredictable, maybe he _did_ intentionally spare the kid. But that would mean that he was against Third Party and Izari seems to think that he's a member…"

"We need to gather more information on what really happened that night," Gaara advised. "I get the impression from what Mura has told me that Yuu Rikichi and Chiie are quite forthcoming with information."

"Did Chiie ever give her last name?" Mura asked.

"Well, it's possible she doesn't have one," Kankurou said. "I mean, Gaara and I don't, and neither does Tenten. It's not that uncommon."

"At any rate, she and Rikichi will definitely talk. Nothing strictly classified, but they're more than willing to share a lot of personal information about shinobi if you ask."

"I can't believe that guy's a dad," Kankurou muttered. "The man's not ugly, but he's so skinny and goofy."

"In Izari's report it's obvious she's rather fond of him," Mura recalled absently. "And he does seem like a nice guy."

_Does Izari like nice guys? I'm certainly not a nice guy…_

"That brother of hers is very difficult to get a handle on," Gaara said. "At the end of the meeting he didn't appear to be in a hurry, but he definitely had a destination in mind when he left the room. I wonder where he was going."

Mura shrugged. "It's probably not that important. Things are tense, but honestly, I expected much worse."

**-O-**

"It's the girl from before, the one we met on the streets," Shukuchi told his uncle as he bent over the dark-haired woman. Her blood had stained his pristine white shirt a violent red. He moved to check the wound and her hand, surprisingly strong, moved to stop him.

"I'm a doctor, it's alright, you can trust me," he told her soothingly.

She shook her head violently. "No, that's not it. Shikami—"

"He was the one that sent me the message about you. This was an accident."

"I know, I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but you have to listen to me. _Please_."

Takayori looked into her dark eyes earnestly. "I'm listening."

"You have to bring him back here. He's somewhere still out in the city – if he wanders around enough he's going to run into her."

" 'Her'?"

Jou slipped back into unconsciousness again and his question remained unanswered. "Shukuchi, I want you to find your teammates and summon them here. Then I want you to find Shikami and bring him back here."

Shukuchi nodded. "Yes, Ojichan." A few hand seals later and he had disappeared.

Takayori's eyes lingered on the puff of smoke before returning to Jou's face. She wasn't beautiful, not in the way that he had imagined. Yoshida had often described her as being so, and from someone who could be as superficial as Yoshida, Takayori hadn't expected someone that looked so…

_I wouldn't say ordinary, but there's plenty of people I see everyday that are more striking. _

Takayori cleaned the wound and proceeded to mend the shattered bones with chakra. He was impressed that she had stayed conscious long enough to give him what she considered a piece of critical information.

_It would be a shame if the injury impeded her ability to play musical instruments,_ he thought sadly. _I have to admit, I'm rather curious to discover what it was my rather finicky friend saw in her. He was always very selective about who he spent his time with._

Amaya and Sachi rushed in, the latter staring in horror at Jou.

"Oh no, what happened to her?" she asked, approaching the bed.

Amaya closed her eyes. "My brother…"

**-O-**

Izari stared at Rikichi blankly.

"Hi, Rikichi."

Rikichi waved back numbly. Without a word, he walked forward until he was less than an arms length away. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him in a fierce bear hug.

"Izzie."

Izari didn't have the energy to bristle at the hated nickname. She felt like she was fifteen again, the night before her sixteenth birthday and wedding. Shikami was silent just as he had been, observing his two teammates as Rikichi blathered on and on as he attempted to sort out his feelings. He still held her hands as he drew back to study her.

"Oh, Izzie, you're still so skinny…Shikami and I were hoping you'd round out a little after you had your baby, but I guess your genes are hard at work, the bloodline burning the midnight oil. I got married too, less than a year and a half after you left. I've got three daughters, and I'm going to have a son soon, I'm so excited! I married Ayase, and you said I couldn't, no way in hell, remember? You said you'd buy me dinner at any restaurant in Hidden Cloud and Shikami bet me the same thing…you should have seen the place we went to. It was the most expensive place in town. I've only been there once and I'll probably never be able to afford it again…"

Rikichi trailed off as his voice caught in his throat. Izari felt uncontrollable tears run down her face and saw that Rikichi was crying too.

"Izzie, we both thought you were dead." He said finally, hand clapped over his mouth. He carefully reached out and placed both hands on her shoulders, almost as if reaffirming that she was really there. They slid down her arms after a few moments and grasped her hands. Rikichi shot a small smile at Shikami.

Izari tensed. Her gaze darted to Shikami before returning to Rikichi. "How can you still talk to him after what he did to me?"

"Izzie, listen, you don't know the whole story—"

"He killed my _son_, Rikichi!"

"Um…actually…" Rikichi trailed off and his persistent silence irritated Izari.

"_What_?"

"He's still alive, your son, I mean."

"Goddamn you." Izari recoiled from him as if struck. She twisted her hands away from him violently.

"Izzie, _please_, I'm telling the truth!" Rikichi made a grab for her hands again.

"That isn't very funny." Izari backed away from him, her red-rimmed eyes regarding him in a new light.

"I'm not making it up! When have I, or even Shikami for that matter, _ever_ lied to you?"

"_Stop it!_ I know you're probably mad at me for leaving, but—"

Izari paused mid-sentence as she felt another presence approach. The chakra was familiar, even if the person was not. Her breathing stilled and time seemed to stretch on infinitesimally as she tensed, and in one concentrated and euphoric moment she realized that Rikichi had been telling the truth.

The footfalls crunched the snow behind her in an even-tempered step. Tendrils of a calming, relaxed presence filled the air like a warm, comforting smell. She breathed deeply, relishing the sound of silence before he would inevitably speak. And when he finally did, she felt every ounce of air leave her lungs.

"Shikami-san, Takayori asked that you return to the conservatory immediately."

Rikichi winced as he looked at Izari's face register the voice behind her. All the color leeched away from her skin, her eyes were distant. She turned from him abruptly, body shaking as she grew more taut than a bowstring. With a strangled cry, she did what any woman would do after realizing her dead son was, in fact, alive.

Rikichi's voice was alarmed as he dashed forward after her. "Izari!"

**-O-**

"Mind explaining a little family history to me?" Shikamaru inquired of Neji lazily. "Because if there's anything, and I mean _anything_ that you know about these people and aren't telling us, I swear to God I'm never going to work with you on a mission again."

Despite not liking each other too much, the two ninjas had a long history together. Neji had a tiny bit of grudging respect for Shikamaru, for having the skill and insight necessary to become a chunnin, despite the fact Neji had had considerably more power and experience at the time. Taking a deep breath, Neji decided to tell them something that, so far, no one outside the Hyuuga clan and the former Hokage had known.

"Shinobi Gashir, the ninja they sent to 'collect' my cousin Hinata all those years ago, wasn't their Head Ninja."

Sakura, Shikamaru, and Neji didn't move for one brief second until all three erupted into violent motion.

"Goddamn it, Neji!"

"When were you going to tell us?"

"It's nobody's business, not anymore! This is a Hyuuga affair!"

"No, this is a Konoha affair," Shikamaru corrected angrily.

"How did you know he wasn't the head ninja?"

"In Lightning Country, from what we could determine, there was a Raikage and a 'Head Ninja' title, basically someone who served as a liaison between the Kage and the Council. But the Head Ninja is always a member of a noble family, of a different family than the Kage; he serves as a means of checking the Kage's power. But Gashir was not a member of any noble family. He worked for the Head Ninja's family, the family responsible for the plot to kidnap Hinata-sama."

"Who is this guy, then, the real Head Ninja?"

"Monomori Ryoshi, Monomori Ayase's father."

"Isn't that the lady that Rikichi had a huge childhood crush on?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru snorted. "Everything's connected, as the saying goes."

**-O-**

"I wonder where Rikichi got off to?" Chiie murmured listlessly, fiddling with the handle of her racquet. Tenten wasn't so sure she'd fare too well – Chiie had been swinging it around effortless just a few minutes prior, every stroke perfectly level and controlled.

"I don't know…we could check upstairs again," Tenten suggested.

"I didn't really think he'd take his sweet time getting here," Chiie said absently. "Something must have happened in town."

"You know, you could have had me fooled earlier about you two being a couple," Tenten admitted.

Chiie grinned lopsidedly. "If you'd have seen us growing up, you'd know. Sometimes girls just have really good platonic male friends. Doesn't happen a lot, but I think he and I are soul mates…the non-romantic kind. We just…get each other, completely and perfectly. But I'm not what he wanted in a wife and he's not what I want in a husband; we can talk about anything and everything because nothing is complicated. It's one of the most important relationships I have."

"Have you ever been in love?" Tenten asked her after a moment.

Chiie was spinning the racquet in her hands listlessly. "Once. I thought I was in love this other time…maybe I was, but nothing ever came out of it except pain. Though now that I think about it, that's all that I ultimately got out of the other one, too," Chiie looked up, her green eyes locking with Tenten's. "You told me that you had an amazing genin team. Don't make the mistake that I did and grow apart from them, because once you do, you'll never, ever get that back."

It felt like something sharp was stabbing Tenten in the chest when Chiie uttered those words. The phrase "too late" echoed loudly in her head, and she quickly spoke up to drown it out.

"But you and Asazaki work here, together…"

"Yeah, but _not_ together, not _really_. He has his friends, I have mine. Jou is closer to each of us now than we are to each other. Since the three of us and Rikichi perform together as The Fermatas, we stay close through that, but if that wasn't there, Asazaki and I would barely say anything to each other."

"Asazaki seems like a nice guy," Tenten ventured slowly.

Chiie gave her a knowing look. "He and Kenji used to be neck-and-neck for everything. They're competitive because they each want to prove that they, and by extension the way they choose to live, is the right way. Kenji came from money and Asazaki came from nothing…still doesn't have a whole lot, at least as far as family goes. He had an adoptive sister named Yugito but she was killed almost five years ago."

_Yugito…wasn't that the name of a jinchuuriki? _Tenten thought.

"He has no other family?"

"Nope. He's like a stray cat that just showed up at the edge of the city limits with Yugito taking care of him. And while he grew to be very popular and well-liked, she was always an outcast. She was lonely, but she lashed out at people sometimes. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't really know what to do. She never acted like she wanted friends or needed help…and then one day, she was gone. Asazaki hasn't been the same since."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's been on a five-year mean-spirited bender. She was the only person that gave a damn about him before it came out to the rest of us how brilliant a ninja he was, so naturally he cared a lot for her. I take it you don't know him too well; he's not someone to take lightly, no matter how much he acts like he doesn't care. He's not nearly as easygoing as he pretends. He's very protective of people he cares about; he was crushed when Izari died, even though he didn't act like it…it was even worse when he lost his sister a few years later. And while he's never viewed me in the same light, I can say for certain that he'd be really upset if I died, too."

Chiie sighed, drawing the top of her racquet along the ground in meandering lines. "I miss the way things used to be between us…I guess I'm just remembering it all because after Izari got married, Yoshida served as our genin team's instructor for a year. He was temperamental, petty, superficial, and well…kinda _prissy_, but he cared for all three of us. It's funny, because he and Jou were so, so different but got along kind of like how Rikichi and I do, except with a lot more bickering. He could literally kill her in one hit and even with that knowledge you'd find them somewhere and they'd be arguing over how he needs color in his office or something stupid like that."

Chiie laughed, eyes reminiscent. "Geez, Yoshida's personality was so high-maintenance and she never gave him _any_ of that. He was so egotistical and selfish and spoiled and she basically treated him like a little kid until he realized he was acting like one."

"He sounds like a pain in the ass."

Chiie smiled fondly. "But he was so charming. People liked him; he was a great guy."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "I keep hearing that."

Chiie smirked. "Well, maybe this is one case where you should believe what you hear." The tiny redhead leaned her racquet against the wall. "I'm going to look for Rikichi…want to come with me?"

"Yeah, beats waiting alone," Tenten shrugged. "I wonder what he's up to?"

**-O-**

**Author's Notes:** The world's roughest draft ever. I'm trying to crank out chapters while I have motivation.

Please review and if you choose to, please be nice.


	22. Plans

**Plans**

_Sonnie_

Tenten couldn't help but think that Chiie was adorably cute for a former shinobi. Her red pixie cut was set off by a bright yellow head scarf that still bore the sign of Hidden Cloud. She had almost squinty green eyes as sharp and brilliant as emeralds. She was what Tenten considered "fiercely pretty." There was something very vital and engaging in those mischievously narrowed eyes and sweet-natured smirk.

_And she definitely walks like a dancer_, Tenten observed as they climbed the stairs. _She's ninety pounds and fifty eight inches of pure, concentrated energy. But she's not entirely cheerful, not the way Rikichi is. Something's bothering her…_

Tenten paused, the question from the back of her mind coming forward.

"Chiie, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Chiie shrugged. "You can ask…it doesn't mean I have to answer."

Tenten smiled at the response. "Alright…why do you act all funny around Shikami? Is he the man you used to love?"

Chiie balked. "What? Shikami?" Chiie laughed loudly, doubling over. The sheer volume of her chuckles echoed loudly in the stairwell and Tenten grew alarmed when tears of mirth started to pour down her face. It reminded her of Lee. "You're so funny, Tenten. First Rikichi, then Shikami. My taste isn't _that_ weird."

"Well, you act kind of funny around him, that's all."

"Oh, well, it's just that Shikami is very familiar with the man I used to love," Chiie said softly, her laughter dying away. "And I'm so quiet around him because he knows who I love _now_, the other man I mentioned. I don't think anyone else knows, not even Rikichi."

"How does Shikami know if Rikichi doesn't?"

"Because he's way too annoyingly observant and intuitive," Chiie grumbled. "I try so hard to be discreet – for more than three years I've kept it a secret, me and him - and in one meeting where the three of us were together, I blow my cover through no real fault of my own. Shikami doesn't even know me that well and he just…_knew_, and he knew _instantly_."

"That's gotta suck," Tenten agreed.

"I'm glad he's not the type to gossip or tell anyone, but it's a little discouraging to know that you can take immense effort to hide something from the world and someone just comes along and digs it up in a heartbeat. Any sense of progress just kind of…_dies_, I guess."

Tenten sighed. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"He's actually a decent guy, though," Chiie added thoughtfully. "Shikami's surprisingly supportive of his peers. We don't really hang out or anything, but I like having random conversations with the guy. He's good friends with Rikichi and Sachi absolutely adores him. Amaya-chan too…he's really good with children."

"I can't think of any male shinobi I know that I'd trust with a kid," Tenten said smartly.

Chiie was about to say something when she stopped suddenly in her tracks. She rushed forward, leaving Tenten at the bottom of the latest flight of stairs. "Takayori-sensei, what happened to you?"

The man at the top of the steps was well-dressed, at least he would have been if the front of his white tee-shirt wasn't stained with fresh blood. His hands were clean, however, as he took Chiie's in his own to soothe her.

"Calm down, Chiie, I'm fine," he reassured her gently. "It's not my blood."

_His voice is so calming_, Tenten thought distantly, realizing that it couldn't just be the comforting voice that made her suddenly so relaxed and peaceful. _His chakra is odd…_

"Then whose blood is it?"

Takayori met her eyes, not easy, as he was a foot and a half taller than Chiie. "I think you should come downstairs and see for yourself," he said quietly. He glanced over at Tenten, giving her a good look at his oddly green-yellow eyes. He regarded her thoughtfully before he added softly, "You might want to come too."

**-O-**

_The hour's almost up,_ Gaara thought, eyeing the clock warily. He wasn't looking forward to resuming the talks. The meeting certainly hadn't gone as planned.

_Not that there really was a plan, since we couldn't really know what to expect, but I can't say brutal honesty ever factored into a diplomatic mission before_, Gaara thought dryly, considering Zan Shukuchi. _He's an intelligent child, but he's only eight years old. Experience doesn't come with a formal education…_

"We should review the details with the shinobi from Fire Country before heading back," Mura recommended. "We just got a lot of information."

Kankurou nodded in agreement. "Good idea. They're probably on this floor."

**-O-**

"Okay, so let's go over each ninja and what we know about them," Sakura began, addressing Shikamaru and Neji. "The daimyo, Zan Shukuchi, is eight years old. His teammates are Yuu Sachi and Kotabe Amaya, six and eight years old respectively. Sachi is Rikichi's daughter, and Amaya is sister to both Kenji and Shikami."

"Shikami isn't quite what we expected," Shikamaru spoke for everyone present. "But _Kenji_…he's a little…_impolite_…"

"Impolite?" Sakura snapped. "He's flat out rude. I want to just deck the guy."

"He's probably as spoiled as his uncle," Neji grumbled. "It doesn't take a lot of deduction to conclude that Samura Yoshida had a lot of money. Since his sister married into the Kage's family, he grew up with money _and_ power. I haven't seen him treat Shukuchi disrespectfully but that's about it."

"I don't know much about Rikichi and Shikami; neither's been around all that much," Sakura confessed. "Shikami is clearly here to grieve his uncle and Rikichi gives off the impression that he's just along for the ride, or at least to meet up with his friend, Chiie. Chiie and Nii Asazaki both live here in Snow Country; however, I find it odd that Asazaki-san is involved in a political delegation when he no longer serves as an active ninja for the Hidden Village."

"Perhaps they are being forced to _reconsider_ their departure," Neji said dryly. "Izari's death was faked so she could leave, but Chiie and Asazaki are both known by their country to be alive. I doubt they were considered missing nins when they left, but things sound rather grim as it stands. They're very short on manpower. Perhaps their arms are being twisted so they're not labeled as runaways."

"Missing nin…that kind of designation…" Sakura trailed off.

"It puts more than just a little cramp in your style," Shikamaru shrugged. "The threat of that would bring just about anyone back, as long as they were semi-friendly to begin with."

"This tension might have something to do with Yoshida's assassination," Neji offered. "From what I've seen, I doubt he'd go back after accumulating so much wealth and status here."

"Or the two could be unrelated," Shikamaru pointed out. "This Third Party group…they could be responsible, too. It sounds like they're really wearing down the resources over there."

"Shukuchi-sama says landed gentry in his country would be more than willing to hire foreign shinobi; however, we would have to attend the chuunin exams in their country in order for this to happen," Sakura reminded them. "Shukuchi-sama is almost desperate for us to go. His uncle, Ikonji Takayori, is a med nin. I met him earler; he's very polite and genuine."

"He hasn't said too much, did you notice?" Shikamaru pointed out. "I think the guy prefers to observe more than to interfere. He obviously trusts his nephew – that alone says the kid isn't someone to write off on age alone. Even if the kid is smart, he's got to have a lot of power to speak so confidently."

"I'm still perplexed by this business with Shikami," Neji added. _Shukuchi doesn't hold a grudge against the man who killed his own father…_

"Shukuchi-sama said it himself – he never knew his father, so how could he miss him?" Sakura looked at Neji carefully. "I know it has to be hard for you to empathize, but he's grown up as an orphan too, even though his mother's been alive all these years."

"Izari's been holding back some information on us," Shikamaru muttered. "Though I'll admit that I don't think she knew Shukuchi was still alive."

"Eight years is a long time for people to change," Sakura pointed out. "And it's not as if her information was flawed, it's just subjective. Yuu Rikichi and Kotabe Shikami were her former teammates. She's naturally biased against Shikami because he killed her husband, but Shukuchi seems to genuinely trust him."

"Something tells me the kid doesn't trust too easily," Shikamaru said uneasily, "And trusting someone that killed your father, even before you ever knew him…it's a lot to wrap my mind around."

"It's the sorry state of their country that's forcing them to work together," a voice said from the doorway. Gaara stood there with Mura and Kankurou.

"Mind if we join you?" Kankurou asked casually, smirking at Neji's frown.

"Sure, we're just going over some of the information," Sakura told them. "Have you learned anything new?"

Mura crossed her arms. "From the comments Izari and the Lightning nins have made, it's fairly obvious they're experiencing a shortage of shinobi in the country, at least shinobi that the Hidden Village, Kumo, actually trusts. To outsource to the degree that they're suggesting, it means that they're desperate for manpower."

"If we get ourselves into this, we have to consider that we might be hired to help them fight a war," Neji said quietly. "They took a big risk sending all these powerful nins here. Granted, the Raikage and the Head Shinobi are still back in Kumo, but nearly all of the shinobi Izari mentioned are actually here, whether as an official representative or not."

"Why send so many?" Sakura asked. "They really only needed Shukuchi-sama and Takayori, and maybe one or two others, tops. I know that Chiie and Nii Asazaki were already here, but Yuu Rikichi, Kotabe Kenji, Kotabe Shikami, and Shukuchi's entire genin team—"

"Security." Gaara said coldly. "The daimyo, strong as me may be for an eight-year-old, is still _eight years old_. This Third Party they spoke of was powerful enough to assassinate Yoshida, who as far as I can tell was not only strong but rich enough to afford any and all protective measures possible. They've already ordered a hit on one daimyo, and even though it backfired, I doubt that an eight year old has the same kind of loyal following the old one did."

"Tsunade-sama did mention that the Raikage might attempt to drag us into this war," Sakura said softly. "How bad are things over there, I wonder?"

"Why don't we go ask ourselves?" Kankurou shrugged. "Our hour's almost up."

No one actually discussed _who_ would bring up the subject, but everyone knew it would be addressed quite soon and they weren't looking forward to the answer.

'_Money makes the world go 'round,' didn't Shukuchi-sama say that?_ Sakura thought wryly. _But he's right…if they're half as rich as they say, we could sure use the business. Suna's in an even more financially vulnerable position than we are…they might not even _have_ a choice. If the daimyo of Wind Country pushes hard enough, Gaara will have no choice but to go anyway…_

As the group headed into the hall, they heard scattered fragments of what appeared to be an argument up ahead. Recognizing the voices, they followed the shouting to the elevator lobby.

"Goddamn it, Rikichi, don't you ever think before you talk?" Shikami's gray eyes narrowed dangerously at his former teammate, who held a prone Izari in his arms protectively.

"You've got the nerve to say this is _my_ fault? _Fuck you_. You killed her husband, right in front of her, if I recall what Yoshida-san said correctly." Rikichi's voice and expression were filled with an anger that Sakura hadn't expected he'd have been capable of.

"Izari's never taken big news well. I mean, for the love of God, you told her that her son was still alive in the middle of the street! No wonder she passed out. You were closest to her and you didn't even move until she'd dropped. What were you thinking?"

"What was _I_ thinking?" Rikichi's voice was low and dangerous. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Could you guys keep your voices down?" Asazaki's cool voice drawled from the hallway. He approached the two men casually, coming to a dead stop when he recognized the woman in Rikichi's arms.

"Izari." Asazaki blinked and paused a moment before regaining his cool. "What happened to her?"

Shikami snorted. "Rikichi thought it would be a _great_ idea to announce to Izari that after going eight whole years thinking her son was dead at the hands of her former best friend, it would be marvelous to tell her that no, he _wasn't_ really dead. Naturally she doesn't take this too well and then he just stands there as she faints—"

"Don't you fucking dare try to blame this on me," Rikichi hissed, refusing to back down from Shikami. He was right up his face.

Shikami glared. "When she wakes up—"

"When she wakes up she's going to kick your ass," Tenten said from doorway of the stairwell. She wore an extremely grave expression. "I guess I'm lucky because I don't have to wait that long…I get to do it now."

Asazaki made a sincere attempt to grab her for her own safety, but Tenten was already in motion. She couldn't focus her chakra like Sakura, but her fist still had a lot of power. It nailed Shikami in the jaw and a loud, audible pop was heard.

"Oh, shit," Asazaki muttered grimly, rushing over to Tenten's side, because very soon she was going to need some help.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Tenten yelled at Shikami, who was fingering his dislocated jaw numbly. He seemed far from angry, stormy gray eyes focusing on Tenten as if he was seeing her for the first time and not the second.

"You don't go ripping surgical pins out of people's arms!" Tenten persisted, struggling against Asazaki's superior strength as he dragged her back. When they were far enough away, he inserted himself between Tenten and Shikami protectively.

"It was an accident," Shikami muttered absently, wincing at the pain those four words caused his jaw. "After it happened, I summoned a messenger pigeon and told Takayori-san right away. He picked her up and they came back here, presumably. She's alright, isn't she?"

"That's not the point," Tenten finger was focused accusingly at Shikami. She was still being successfully blocked by Asazaki when the door next to her flew open to admit Chiie. The petite girl looked around at all the new faces before settling on a very familiar one.

"Izari-sensei?" In an instant Chiie was by Izari's side.

"She stopped being our sensei when she ran off," Kenji's cool voice corrected her, his expression carefully blank. He'd been observing everything calmly, not having moved from his position against the wall.

"What happened to her, Rikichi, is she okay?" Chiie's brow furrowed as she gently brushed some blonde curls away from Izari's face.

"She'll be fine, so I'm told," Shikami muttered, eyeing the audience they'd gathered. He fingered his jaw lightly. A long, awkward pause commenced; Chiie was glancing at the ground, Rikichi at Izari, and Shikami at the ceiling. It went on for well over a minute until Rikichi spoke up suddenly, his voice unnaturally loud after such a long silence.

"Um…after things settle down…I'll fix that up for you," Rikichi muttered grudgingly, staring down at Izari's expressionless face as he gestured to Shikami's jaw.

Shikami nodded stiffly and disappeared down the stairs without another word. Before the door slammed shut, Asazaki and Kenji followed. Taking a deep breath as if to brace himself, Rikichi departed, Izari still unconscious in his arms.

"When I left them, Takayori was still attending to Jou-chan," Chiie said quietly, the only Lightning nin aside from Shukuchi left to address the group. "He'll likely be occupied for a few hours. The wound was…extensive."

"This accident…how did it happen, exactly?" Sakura inquired.

"Um, she _startled_ him, from what I'm told."

"Are you kidding?"

"Shikami-san is an excellent ninja, don't get me wrong, but he's been understandably distracted since his uncle's death. And Jou…well, Jou's really unpredictable and things just happened all at once, I guess." Chiie was looking at the ground.

"Do you believe that?" Kankurou's voice was hard.

Chiie started. "I don't know." She looked rather worried. "He probably ripped the pin out on reflex, thinking that any kind of concealed metal is a weapon. It's not an unreasonable assumption, given his line of work. But as soon as it happened and he realized his mistake, he _did_ summon Takayori to assist him and right now he's healing her arm. I'm not worried about Jou; Takayori-san is the best med nin I've ever met."

"Is she still in surgery?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Probably…"

"So I take it the talks are canceled," Neji said flatly.

"Postponed," Shukuchi corrected. He'd apparently gotten past the rather harsh shock of seeing his mother and addressed the groups from Wind and Fire. He smiled for the first time, which produced a rather immediate and jarring effect on those present. "In lieu of formal discussions, I thought I'd invite everyone to a late dinner at nine o'clock this evening."

"Dinner?" Gaara's voice was unconvinced.

"Yes. It was by our invitation that you came here; in Lightning Country one makes sure his guests are well-cared for. Is my proposal agreeable? I would very much like for you to attend."

Sakura gaped. _This kid is full of surprises_, she thought, quickly plastering a polite smile on her face. "We would be honored," she replied, hoping she didn't sound too fake. The skeptical look he very briefly shot her informed her that she wasn't fooling anyone.

"As would we," Gaara said, much more graciously.

Shukuchi briefly pondered the tone of his voice before nodding satisfactorily. "Tenten-san, was it not?"

Tenten nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Shukuchi extended his hand. She took it. "My name is Zan Shukuchi. I am the daimyo of Hidden Cloud."

Tenten blinked, drawing her hand away slowly. "What?"

"I think it would be best if we continue this conversation in private," he advised, holding open the door of the stairwell open for her. "Is that acceptable?"

"Um, sure…"

"Good," Shukuchi glanced at the delegates briefly. "If you'll excuse me, I have some matters to oversee. You're free to use the recreational facilities downstairs or you may explore the grounds if you wish. Tomiko-san will take care of the necessary planning for this evening. I was thinking we could reserve a room at the Hokuto no Tenshi teahouse. Please dress appropriately." With a rigid, formal bow, he disappeared down the stairs after Tenten.

There was a brief pause before everyone started speaking at once.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Dude, Shikami attacked a civilian. He's gonna get nailed."

"What's going to happen to Izari?"

"I can't believe I have to dress up tonight."

Five sets of eyes gave Shikamaru a withering look. His dark eyes glared back. "C'mon, you can't tell me that you aren't dreading the prospect of a dinner with these people."

No one really had a good comeback for this.

"Jou's a citizen of Konoha, I should make sure she's okay," Sakura said. "I also want to check to see if Tenten's learned anything useful. There's a map in the front lobby of the building…maybe you guys want to poke around there and see what you can find out."

"I'll accompany you," Mura spoke up. The girls headed downstairs, leaving Shikamaru with Neji, Gaara, and Kankurou.

_Great, just me and the dream team,_ Shikamaru grumbled inwardly, eyeing the Gaara. _Things are going to be a lot more formal between us now, Kazekage-sama. I'll conveniently forget that Kankurou and Neji don't like me and just see if I can check out the rather conveniently-placed skylight over—_

"Where do you think you're going, Nara?"

_Damn it._

"I was going to poke around this place a bit," Shikamaru shrugged. "At least before I go back to the hotel and change; it's a nice setup they've got here. I think I'm going to chill out for a few hours. Judging from what I've seen today, I'm doing to need it."

**-O-**

Takayori leaned back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he rose and washed his hands. The injury had been serious; while her life wasn't in immediate danger, she'd been at risk for losing fine motor skills in her hand. It wasn't the wound that had him unnerved, however. He pulled a worn piece of paper from his pocket, frowning.

_Yoshida…why can't you ever just say what you want up front?_ Takayori sighed, reading over his deceased friend's letter for the tenth time in a row. _You pretend the only reason you want me to come to Snow Country is to accompany my nephew. You say that he needs the best piano instructor you can think of, citing this woman. And she may or may not be as good as you say, I don't know. But you really just wanted to drag me all the way here so I can perform a risky surgery on someone I haven't even met…_

Takayori glanced sideways at Jou. He had wondered briefly if she was his friend's mistress, but dismissed the notion upon further study.

_Yoshida had insanely high standards for the women he saw, and while this girl's not bad looking, she's nothing special. That alone makes her a bit suspicious – Yoshida was excessively shallow. No offense, Jou-san, but you're just not pretty enough…but if you're skilled enough, I can see Yoshida liking you sufficiently. But it must be hard to be a musician and have such damaged ear drums._

_If her hearing was impaired by a Sound shinobi's attack, it's not going to be an easy task to repair it. The window of time has closed, or it would have closed for a less talented med nin. But even with my healing expertise, this isn't exactly something I can just go ahead and do without her consent…_

"You're Takayori-san, aren't you?"

Takayori arched a blond brow at his patient. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"My brother is very susceptible to opiates. I am not."

_Not quite,_ Takayori observed wryly as she yawned. But she didn't seem to be in any pain, at least none that she showed.

"It's unusual for two siblings to have such dissimilarities in their blood," Takayori informed her.

"But you and your sister have very dissimilar blood; it isn't _that_ rare."

Jou now had his full attention.

"What do you know about my sister?"

"Yoshida told me."

"Did Yoshida speak of her often?"

Jou nodded. "He says you loved her very much."

"I did. I do. I'm assuming you love _your_ brother? I think Yoshida mentioned you're a twin."

"I love Lee with all my heart," the smile she gave him was sweet; Takayori found himself smiling back. "Yoshida told me about your bloodline…how there are five levels. Izari was level two and you are level five…he told me a lot, actually."

"And why did Yoshida tell you all this? Did you ask him?"

Jou snorted. "Yoshida speaks of whatever he wishes to. He isn't easily coaxed into a conversation he doesn't desire."

Takayori grinned. "He's quite…"

"Domineering? Sly? Calculating?" Jou rattled off several adjectives and smiled at his surprised face.

"That's quite a list."

"But an accurate one," Jou smiled warmly. "But despite all the flaws, he was very insightful and charming. There's never going to be anyone else like him. It's hard to accept he's gone."

Takayori's smile faded. "Yeah, it is," he admitted. "He's not the first friend I've lost…and he was more like a brother than anything. But I'm sad to say I know what it's like to lose family, too."

Jou maneuvered her uninjured arm so she could place her hand on his. "You're not as alone as you think."

Takayori paused; despite her pain, she was totally, utterly honest in what she was saying, and sincere in the condolences she expressed.

"Well…I have a nephew," Takayori conceded.

"Who wants to take over the world, from what I've told," Jou pointed out.

"No, he just wants to remain daimyo. He wants Amaya-chan to grow up and be Raikage and Sachi-chan to become Head Ninja. He'll marry Amaya-chan and make Sachi-chan the godmother to his heir, and as he puts it, 'the codification of power in Lightning Country will be complete.' Or something like that. As his uncle I'm privy to all of his fantastic takeover plots."

"Well, if he's going to stop after only one country…" Jou trailed off, smirked.

Takayori grinned back. "You're right. He's going to take over the world someday. But he's more like an enlightened despot than a tyrannical fascist."

"Thank God, I was really concerned there for a minute."

Takayori laughed. "You'd like him if he spent time with him. He reminds me a lot of his mother."

"Oh, really?" Jou's eyes were wide with interest. _Izari would really want to know, if she were here…_ "How so?"

"He's always got his nose in a book, which is more a family trait now that I think about it. He's very tough, but fair on his teammates. He's learning languages faster than I ever thought possible for a boy his age. He hates broccoli but loves cauliflower. He likes his coffee cold and his tea hot. And he's very, very sensitive to people…to everything, really. He pretends that he doesn't notice things he does and also pretends that he's not hurt, but…_I_ know. I know the extent to which he feels things."

Jou lowered her eyes. _Just like Izari…_

Takayori felt an immense wave of sadness from Jou. Alarmed, he was surprised that for as intense as her feelings were, she wasn't crying. Most people tried to dam their emotions up, but they flowed so strong and pure from her. Even without his bloodline Takayori would have known how deeply she was feeling things when he looked at her carefully.

_It's odd_, Takayori thought. _I guess I'm used to everyone guarding their emotions and thoughts so tightly around me, but this woman feels emotions so fully, so real…It's almost as if she knows…_

Takayori gave Jou a long, hard look before continuing.

"Since you know so much about my bloodline, you're probably already familiar with the link that exists between members of my family. Like twins, my father used to say. Yoshida had the ability to break those links, and a tiny piece, or maybe a large one, always hoped that he broke the link between my sister and carried her off somewhere safe."

Jou smiled thinly. "It's a nice thought. If he broke the link, he'd be convincing her mind and body and soul that both you and her son were dead," she said carefully. "…Though it might be a great way to convince her to leave, especially the latter."

"Would you put it past him?" Takayori asked her, his voice casual.

"I would put _nothing_ past Yoshida," Jou said truthfully. "He's very selfish. He ran away…and as much as he would like to think otherwise, he's terrified of doing anything new alone."

Takayori's yellow eyes fixed hers. "I'm going to ask you something. It's important you don't lie. I need to know the answer. I'll only ask if you promise to tell me the truth." He hesitated. "You can say no if you want."

"Alright."

"Alright, 'you can say no,' or alright, 'ask the question'?"

"The latter."

"Is she alive? Izari, I mean."

Jou met his gaze unflinchingly. "Shikami's out there looking for her. You'll know soon enough."

Almost on cue, Rikichi burst through the door with Izari in his arms. Chiie was hot on his heels, as was Asazaki, Sakura and Mura. Kenji strolled in last; he was in no apparent hurry.

"Takayori, we've got a problem," Rikichi announced.

"At least we found Izari _alive_," Kenji grumbled.

"My sister's been alive these past eight years," Takayori said absently, studying his sister's face earnestly.

"Jojo, why did you keep this from us?" Rikichi implored of Jou earnestly.

Kenji snorted. "Look at her. Then think about my uncle for a few seconds. If he wants something kept secret…he's very intimidating."

"Yeah, but not to _Jojo_…" Rikichi trailed off. "He'd never threaten her like you're insinuating."

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked her, barely managing to squeeze a few words in edgewise.

"Yeah, it was really all a misunderstanding," Jou smiled weakly. "I really did startle him."

"Uh huh," Mura's tone was pure disbelief.

"I'm serious," Jou said firmly. "It wasn't anybody's fault. I'm not angry with him or afraid of him. I just want to know if Izari's doing alright."

"Izzie just hit her head, right, Takayori?" Rikichi asked hopefully.

The blond man had already finished his inspection. "She's going to have a headache when she wakes up, but it's nothing serious. What happened?"

"She met her son, Takayori," Rikichi said in a low voice.

"And where is he now?"

"Um…wasn't he right behind us?" Rikichi asked sheepishly as Kenji rolled his eyes.

**-O-**

"I hope this incident doesn't degrade the tenuous relationship between our shinobi nations," Shukuchi addressed both Tenten and Shikami.

"What about him hurting my friend?" Tenten demanded.

"Since she isn't a shinobi, the matter would be handled in a civil court if she decides to press charges," Shikami muttered absently. "And when shinobi have altercations, there is a similar court for them. I can, however, assure you I won't press charges against you, Tenten-san. Besides, you aren't here on official shinobi business and neither am I. The incident between us isn't too serious. I'm sorry for what I did to your friend, I truly am."

"Tell that to Jou-chan," Tenten bit out.

"When she wakes up, I will," Shikami told her truthfully.

"You know an awful lot about law," Tenten said grudgingly.

"Administration is in my blood," Shikami murmured. "As is music…I don't suppose you'd believe me, but I'd have much rather grown up studying the latter."

"If only life were that easy," Shukuchi said expressionlessly. He glanced up at Tenten and studied her carefully. "Did you know my mother well?"

"Not particularly," Tenten admitted. "I just found out that you were related today."

"You and the rest of the world," Shukuchi shrugged. "I suppose we should go visit your friend and see how she's doing…My mother, too."

"Are you going to be alright?" Tenten asked him hesitantly.

"I don't have any choice _but_ to be," Shukuchi smiled crookedly. As he marched forward briskly, Tenten shook her head in disbelief.

_What an odd kid…_

**-O-**

Izari heard voices dimly through the haze of pain that had invaded her mind like a thick, dense fog. There were snippets of conversation, of voices that were both close and distant in her memory. Through her weak bloodline she could vaguely detect their proximity to her as they flitted about the tiny room.

"Is it a good idea for Shukuchi to be here?"

"It's not like she can fall and hit her head when she's laying in a bed, Rikichi."

"Kenji, you're such an asshole."

"Sticks and stones."

"You _do_ realize she can probably hear everything you're saying?"

"It'll be just like old times."

"The three of us at each others' throats, you mean."

"Eh…kind of."

Izari's gray-violet irises slowly came into view, blurred through her thick lashes. She was vaguely aware of someone's face leaning less than a foot from hers before they were yanked back.

"Rikichi, she's going to faint again if the first thing she sees is your face," Kenji muttered.

"Izzie's seen me naked before; I don't think a close-up of my face is going to do her in."

"Yeah, but it's certainly not going to help."

Izari's eyes snapped open and she reflexively withdrew from where Rikichi was attempting to get close again. She attempted to sit up and back away, but the pain in her head was debilitating and she fell back on the pillow helplessly.

"Rikichi?"

"Izzie."

"Where am I?"

"In Yoshida's conservatory."

"What happened?"

"…You kind of fainted and hit your head."

"Kind of?"

"Damn it, Kenji, she _fainted_, stop getting all literal and technical on me."

"Where's my son, Rikichi?"

"I'm right here."

Shukuchi stood in the doorway.

Izari nodded.

"And where's Jou-chan?"

"She and Takayori went upstairs while you were asleep."

"Unconscious," Kenji corrected.

"Yeah, well, the representatives just wanted to make sure she was alright and such. Shikami's with them. It really was an accident, Izzie. I watched him apologize and she accepted it and now everything is almost well and good in the world."

Izari turned on her side, back to her former students. "May I speak with my son alone for a few minutes?"

"Um, yeah, sure…" Rikichi was obviously taken aback. Not quite sure what to do, he paused, mouth still open. Only when Asazaki tapped his shoulder did he come to his senses and start to move again. Without another word he held the door open for Chiie, Asazaki, and Kenji. He glanced back at Izari almost as if he wanted to say something again, but shook his head and disappeared.

_What do you say to the son you've never met?_ Rikich asked himself as he shut the door behind him.

**-O-**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sakura asked for the fifth time as Jou rooted through the bowl in the center of the table. Because of the table's size, she was perched precariously on her uninjured right arm as she used her left arm to leisurely sort through the assortment of fruit.

"I took care of the internal damage but I stitched the wound shut manually," Takayori told her. "I've found injuries heal more naturally that way. I've significantly sped up the recovery time, but muscles and tissue require time to successfully overcome such trauma. She shouldn't do any heavy lifting or the like for awhile."

"I think the heaviest things she lifts are iced tea bottles," Kankurou scoffed.

Takayori smiled. "That remains to be seen."

"Where are all the good apples?" Jou grumbled, studying the line of fruit she'd placed on the table. "Someone took all of the Red Delicious ones."

A red fruit rolled across the table and stopped in front of her.

"I was saving it for later, but help yourself." Everyone's eyes darted to Shikami, who seemed unperturbed by the attention.

Jou smiled her sincere thanks and proceeded to devour the fruit.

_What kind of girl just forgives the guy who wrecked her arm?_ Kankurou thought dismally. _And out of everyone in this room, they're probably the most relaxed, save Takayori over there…_

"The address of the restaurant will await you upon your return to the hotel," Shukuchi announced as he entered the room. Everyone's focus was on him; he'd just suffered an event that some might deem traumatic and seemed completely unaffected. "I think it best everyone reconvene later. I apologize for the lack of an escort, but trust you can manage to find your way there by nine o'clock."

_It's not like anyone's going to complain about that,_ Shikamaru thought grumpily. _You're good at structuring your sentences just right._

"I hope you don't mind, but I've taken the liberty of inviting Tenten-san along, even though she's not an official member of your party."

"Why?" Kenji asked him. He brushed off Neji's glare with ease.

"She's involved." Shukuchi elaborated.

"She's only involved because she stuck her nose in business that had nothing to do with her."

"Her best friend was attacked." Rikichi justified.

"That's why they have police." Kenji's voice was flat.

"When was the last time you relied on the police when you were capable of getting your own results?" Shukuchi drawled.

"That's not the point."

"At any rate, the important thing is that she's coming along, whether you like it or not, and though it's clearly the latter, I don't really care." Asazaki bit out. "Personally, I'm quite happy she's coming along."

"You would be."

"Kenji!" Amaya snapped tiredly. The dark-haired child looked especially agitated.

"I think it would be best if we head back to the hotel and get ready," Shukuchi suggested.

Shikamaru couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

_It's going to be a long night._

**-O-**

Sakura stared at the mirror blankly, realizing she was a lot more excited about this dinner than she ought to be. It would likely be tense, with everyone walking on eggshells. The events of the day swam through her mind languidly, threatening to overwhelm her.

_At least no one has been permanently injured_, Sakura tried to reassure herself. The wound Jou had sustained had been serious; while she was glad that both the attacker and the victim were apparently over the situation, the tension this had caused wouldn't be going away any time soon.

_It also doesn't help that Tenten went and punched Shikami in the face. I know I would have done the same thing if someone hurt one of my friends, but I'm just thankful that he's not angry about it and he didn't fight back. I just hope Neji doesn't lose his temper tonight…there's so much he's not telling us. I can't force the information out of him either, not when it's so personal, so painful…_

**-O-**

Neji was meditating in his room, attempting to sort through a rather alarming amount of information before dinner in the hopes of smoothing out any discrepancies. He wasn't looking forward to the affair and the thin pretense of politeness that would probably be unbearably suffocating and false. Neji didn't want to act civil, not when there were so many questions, so much anger.

_I'm going to dinner tonight, and there's a good chance that someone at that table is going to know exactly what happened between the Hyuuga clan and Lightning Country. There's a good chance that someone at that table is going to be related to the person responsible for that corrupt charade of a peace treaty. And there's a good chance that whoever that person is, they'd do it again if they could. _

_I doubt the eyes of the Samura clan are improving over time. And since Samura Yoshida's sister married into the Kotabe clan, it's a good chance that every one of her children are afflicted with the disease, too. Diabetes…it's slowly robbing them of their sight, it has been ever since the Samura clan developed their metal-controlling bloodline. _

_In order to manipulate the magnetic fields, the composition of their blood has changed over time. And while this makes them more efficient, the side effects are dangerous. I've heard rumors that during the war, when the clan still had large numbers, some were going blind in their teens from using their bloodline too much._

_I know it was the Head Ninja who ordered the fake peace mission, but what connection would he have to the Samura family? Monomori Ryoshi is a man who has always strictly looked out for his own interests, and those of his family. Helping another clan isn't characteristic of the man at all._

Neji felt a tiny twinge of guilt for hiding so much information from his teammates. But so much was tied up in a very private past, a past that none of them had any right to know.

_The Monomori clan…they amplify the powers of other clans, ironically enough. Though it's not a bloodline, they've cultivated elaborate wind and air jutsus. Monomori Ryoshi is known in our clan for having developed a special vacuum that completely obliterates anything it traps inside…I don't know much about his daughter, Ayase, though I assume she's been following in her father's footsteps._

_The Zan clan…Izari's mother was known for creating intense lightning storms. And despite being predisposed to Lightning, they also work extensively with water. They combine the two so an enemy can't exploit a single elemental weakness. A smart choice, but the bloodline is volatile. Zan clan members have a hard time focusing their chakra and their minds; the women are especially cursed with poor health. Their bodies cannot process any animal products – it makes them very ill. It's a wonder Izari and her mother both survived the birth of their children…_

_The Ikonji clan. The mysterious bloodline with five levels…I suppose Izari has a part of this in her; it can't be very developed or she'd appear healthier. It's legendary…a bloodline that keeps the user in perfect health. It's no wonder the Zan clan pushed so hard for marriage with them. The bloodline doesn't have any offensive value that I'm aware of, but since it renders the members immune to disease or sickness, it's infinitely valuable. Takayori, contrary to his sister, is the picture of vitality and health. He's still going to age and he's vulnerable to injury, but the restorative powers of the family are legendary._

_It's rumored that the Kotabe clan's true power lies in the mind…in bloodline that produces a jutsu that is similar to a waking dream. Genjutsu is the ability to manipulate a person's senses, to change what they see, fell, and hear in order to affect their actions. But the Kotabe family cannot do this – instead, they manipulate the body itself. The person is aware of what they're doing, saying, and feeling, but they're not in control of their actions. _

"With that kind of ability…you could make _anyone_ do _anything_. They could walk right off the roof of a building and know it, but be completely unable to stop themselves. Controlling someone's body is easier than deceiving their mind. That's the true power of a Kotabe…and I hope to God that none of them can do that," Neji murmured to himself.

**-O-**

Chiie stood unmoving at the bottom of the stairs to the special guest room at the teahouse. She wore a beautiful canary yellow dress, a stark contrast to the rich and dark colors of the décor. In her tiny fist she clutched a piece of paper, a letter. She almost jumped two feet in the air when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

"Shikami?" Chiie placed a calming hand on her chest. She tried in vain to slow her rapid breaths.

"Chiie, what's the matter?"

Chiie handed him the letter wordlessly. He scanned it carefully, holding it close as if he didn't believe the contents. He read it twice more before making eye contact.

"You think I had something to do with this, don't you?"

"It's not like you, but I can't think of how else it could have happened. You control Yoshida's estate now, don't you?"

"Actually, Kenji and I—" Shikami stopped mid-sentence.

"Kenji." Chiie took a deep but shaky breath. "I guess that makes sense."

"I know you and Kenji aren't close anymore, but I don't think he'd do this to you. He's rude to your face, but not sneaky and underhanded behind the scenes. Maybe it was in Yoshida's will…"

"It just…doesn't make sense, does it?" Chiie asked tiredly.

Shikami looked at her frankly. "I don't know, Chiie. Yoshida was far from predictable. But if Kenji's responsible, dinner isn't going to be the place to get your answers."

Chiie hung her head. "I know I've got a temper, but I can reign it in for a few hours."

Shikami smiled at her. "That's good to know."

"And what about you? How are you taking the whole Izari thing?" Chiie gave him a lopsided grin; she'd forgotten how easy it was to talk to him. She and Shikami were never close, but he'd always been kind to her.

"Izari and I loved each other…not in the romantic sense, but we were friends, she, Rikichi, and I. Yoshida made sure we knew each other better than we knew ourselves. I can honestly say I understood her. But a lot has changed. I've killed her husband…my reasons don't excuse the crime. The world thinks I killed the daimyo for Third Party but nothing could be more wrong…"

"I know what they did to your mother," Chiie said quietly. "I think Izari knows the real circumstances, too. Maybe she has forgiven you. And if she hasn't, so what? I mean, she might never forgive you, but as much as it hurts, you bought all of us from Kumo extra time."

"Our time is running out, Chiie," Shikami told her gravely. "You're no longer living in Kumo, so you probably don't know how serious it is."

"It's bad, isn't it?" Chiie's voice was a mere ghost compared to what it usually was.

"…Yeah."

Chiie nodded grimly.

"I've already proven that I'll do anything to save Kumo."

"The ends justify the means?"

Shikami's expression was unreadable. "Something like that." He glanced up at the crystal chandelier. "You know, that light fixture alone could put food on the table of countless families in Lightning Country. My uncle's estate is full of stuff like that."

"It is," Chiie nodded in agreement.

"I want to talk to Jou-san about my uncle…I don't suppose she'd let me after what I did today," Shikami muttered.

Chiie smiled reassuringly. "You know, Jou-chan's one of the most forgiving people I know. It _was_ an accident. She's not angry."

"Izari wouldn't like it. That alone would have been enough to stop me from doing anything eight years ago. Then my mother died."

"It changes everything, doesn't it?" Chiie asked.

Shikami nodded tightly. "I hope this dinner goes well tonight. It needs to go well, which means it probably won't."

Chiie put a consoling hand on his arm. "Don't give up on us already."

Shikami snorted. "Think about who's going to be attending."

Chiie frowned, then her lips quirked up in a smile. "…Well…"

"I know you don't have a lot of money, but how about I bet you—"

"Trust me…things are going to be bad, and no matter how dismal a prediction I make, it's going to be far worse."

"And here I thought you were an optimist."

"_Kenji's_ going to be there. Kenji plus _anyone_ is pretty much asking for a fight. And a Hyuuga's attending the dinner, too? Kenji's going to torment the poor guy until they start a fight. He's going to manage to alienate and insult every single member of the party before dessert."

"…So is that a bet?"

"Shikami!"

Shikami shot her a look. "Too smart to bet me, eh?"

Chiie smirked. "The last thing I want to worry about tonight is losing my paycheck over some stupid bet. Rikichi's the gambler, not me. You and h have all these transactions written down in your little black books. I'm not going to wager any money with you. Not when I know I'll lose."

"We're not exactly 'diplomats,' " Shikami sighed. "Asazaki plays it cool but he's terribly irritable sometimes. We both know Kenji's going to try his hardest to piss off everyone, even _us_. Then we've got _you_, and we're not even going to make it to dinner if we go through a list of all of _your_ behavioral lapses. Amaya-chan worries too much. Sachi-chan's emotional. Rikichi's very emotional. Izari's the most emotional person I've ever met, at least tied with Rikichi, anyway. And since my uncle just died…I'm just as screwed up as the rest of us right now."

Shikami glanced at her wryly. "I haven't even gotten to the foreign delegates. I don't know them that well, but they're having dinner with the most dysfunctional group of ninjas the world has to offer. Two thirds of us are absolutely mental. What a wonderful impression we're going to make in the name of polite company."

Chiie looked like she was about to say something encouraging before her shoulders slumped. "Yeah…We're fucked."

"We both know two thirds of the party are going to have some kind of hissy fit. I doubt we'll end dinner with more than half the people we started with."

"And your wonderful brother's going to make it his mission to alienate everyone at the table. He's already on my shit list."

"Great, he's starting already and he's not even here yet. It's going to be a wonderful night."

**-O-**

**Author's Notes:** Next chapter – the dinner! I know these chapters are insanely confusing, but different characters are privy to information that the others aren't, so it's hard to keep track of who knows what. I'm sorry this probably doesn't interest a lot of you, but both Neji and Tenten have a lot invested with these people. Their history is important because it controls what's happening in the current storyline – a lot of traveling is going to happen soon!

**Here's a brief timeline of what happened right before Izari left Lightning Country:**

Third Party kills Shikami's mother. Shikami then kills the daimyo knowing that the move will lose Third Party's support of the people. The shock throws Izari into labor. Yoshida arrives and renders Shikami unconscious. He delivers Izari's baby via Caesarean section but severs her bloodline's emotional link to both the baby and her brother. They believe she's dead, she believes her son is dead. Yoshida and Izari go to Snow Country after he entrusts Shukuchi to Takayori.

Jou knows that Izari's son is still alive, but she hasn't known for long (Yoshida's fond of keeping secrets). Jou knows that her friends from Lightning Country think Izari's dead, but doesn't correct them in the fear that someone might try to harm her friend.

**Next I'll attempt to break characters down for everyone:**

**Ikonji Takayori **– Izari's older brother. He has the highest level of their bloodline, level five, of which the full capabilities are not known. He is, however, immune to disease and illness, something Neji is aware of. His medical specialty is orthopedic surgery, specifically dealing with combat injuries. He's very kind and a bit quirky. He enjoys drawing and reading. He has short blond hair and yellow-green eyes.

**Kotabe Shikami** – He is fairly remote and preoccupied when he's alone, but very skilled at talking to others and observing them when in others' company. He's an excellent judge of character and is surprisingly nonjudgmental considering that his uncle, brother, and father are. He, Izari, and Rikichi were all extremely close, and he and Rikichi still are for the most part. He has the most power over metal in his family but his control is lacking. His occasional bouts of reticence belie his rather impulsive, hasty behavior. He has dark hair and dark grey eyes.

**Yuu Rikichi** – Shikami and Izari's teammate, he loves the outdoors. He's full of energy and cherishes the people he chooses to spend time with. He's straightforward and sincere. He likes to joke around a lot and pull the occasional prank. He achieved his dream of marrying Monomori Ayase, and they have three children together. He's rather corny but very likeable and kind-natured. He's very tall and thin and has messy brown hair and brown eyes. He, Izari and Shikami often made bets.

**Nii Asazaki** – his sister was Nii Yugito, the cat jinchuuriki that Hidan murdered. He grew up poor, so he's rather protective of his image and reputation. He has short, dark hair and blue eyes. He is extremely competitive, and he and Kenji aren't on good terms. Izari said that he's "smart but not academically orientated." He's kind of like a swiss army knife…good at a large variety of things but with no real specialty. He's worked hard to gain his status as a good shinobi and a good musician.

**Chiie** – her family lives on Yoshida's land back in Lightning Country, much like a serf farms the land of a feudal lord. She has no last name. She has an auburn pixie cut and green eyes, and is extremely short. She and Rikichi are best friends and she's the godmother of his children. Shikami intimidates her sometimes but they converse easily once they get started. She's extremely friendly but has a bit of a temper. She's very defensive of her friends.

**Kotabe Kenji** – the Kotabe sibling with the perfect balance of precise control and sheer power over metal. He's very structured and elitist; he looks down on his uncle for leaving, citing Yoshida's flamboyant and self-absorbed behavior as irresponsible. He's very intelligent and duty-minded – serving the country is important to him. He, like his brother, is very observant, but he uses the information he gathers to harm others. He has blond hair and light gray eyes.

**Monomori Ayase, Monomori Ryoshi** – Rikichi's wife and father-in-law, respectively. Ayase, like her teammates Yoshida and Takayori, is renowned for her skills as a med nin. Ryoshi is the Head Shinobi of Lightning Country. He ordered his servant Gashir to masquerade as Head Ninja in the mission to kidnap Hinata sixteen years ago. His reason for the ordering the mission is unknown.

**Zan Shukuchi, Yuu Sachi, Kotabe** Amaya – Shukuchi is the daimyo. He's hard on his teammates, but cares for both of them strongly. Yuu is very outgoing like her father, while Amaya is quiet like _her_ father. Yuu has chestnut colored hair and blue eyes and Amaya has dark hair and dark gray eyes. Since they're all so different, their roles within the team are defined and comfortable and they function well together. They try to complement each other, not outdo each other.


	23. Feast

**Feast**

_Sonnie_

The first thing that struck Tenten was the sheer size of the place. She'd been impressed by the teahouse in Konoha but this one was in a whole other league. The wood was darker, of a richer hue, and more expensive. The room that had been reserved for them was massive; an elegant staircase was the sole entrance and exit. And despite not having any windows, it was so spacious and tastefully decorated that such a detail was barely noticeable.

_I could work A-Rank missions until I was sixty and not be able to afford the tablecloth,_ Tenten thought. _This private room was more than I was expecting. Whatever these Lightning nins are, poor isn't a part of it. I feel so out of the loop…through sheer chance I've been plunked in the middle of some diplomatic mission that I haven't been briefed in. I can tell my teammates are less than pleased…especially Neji._

_I wanted to come here with a clear head, _Neji took a deep breath. _I don't want to have to worry about her, about something happening to her. She already took a great risk today, and lucky for her, he didn't retaliate. She's so impulsive sometimes…_

_I came here to get away from him, and now that he's less than ten feet away, I don't ever want him to leave_, Tenten felt the tension in the room slowly suffocate her. _I'm fine until I see him again. And when I'm with him, now I just feel…lost. I feel __**small**_

_She's uncomfortable. _Neji observed the familiar signs of his former teammate's agitation. Her posture was good and her hands were still, but the bitten lip was a dead giveaway, at least for him. _I hope none of the Lightning nins notice._

_I think I can see my reflection_, Shikamaru frowned at his immaculate plate. Above it sat a crystal glass filled with ice-cold water. He stared hard at the tiny card where his name was embossed in shiny gold ink. It was just one more reminder that he was in a place where he had to act in a very formal way. _God, I hate dressing up. I haven't bought a suit in ages and this one looks like it was fitted for someone else…Damn it, why'd I have to grow so much in five years?_

_What the hell is up with pineapple head?_ Kankurou shot a disapproving look at Shikamaru, whose squirming body and sour face were far from discreet.

_I'm glad his feet are under the table_, Sakura sighed, having noticed the four inches of ankles he exposed whenever he sat. _At least Neji looks good…_

_Where did Tenten get that dress?_ Neji wondered, not liking the looks Asazaki was giving his former teammate every now and then. The dark-haired, blue-eyed nin had escorted Tenten to the table. _When Izari said Asazaki was a womanizer, I was expecting a total sleaze…and a total idiot. But this man has some class and decency. He comes from a meager background but you certainly can't tell by looking at him or even talking to him. _

Sakura and Asazaki had been trading polite comments for the past few minutes. Her admiration for him was apparent, and while he seemed to express more interest in Tenten, he gave Sakura his full attention when they spoke. This did not go unnoticed by anyone else, either.

_Where is Jou-chan?_ Tenten thought, nervously glancing around the table. _She and that doctor aren't here yet. Neither is Izari or her son…and Rikichi and his daughter…and Gaara and Mura…this __**was**__ supposed to start at nine, right?_

"Sorry we're late," Chiie announced, arriving on Shikami's arm, something that surprised Tenten. They seemed relatively at ease with each other, something that also seemed to bewilder Kenji. She wondered if it was coincidence that Chiie and Kenji had seats that were far apart and when she caught the dangerous look the redhead shot him, was suddenly grateful for the distance.

_If looks could kill_, Tenten thought with a grimace. _Granted, Chiie appears as threatening as a butterfly, but that was no pretty look she just gave him._

"We're still waiting for a few people, so don't feel too badly about it," Kankurou said broadly.

"I like your dress," Sakura told Chiie kindly.

Chiie brightened. "Thank you. Pink is so pretty on you, and I just love yellow."

"It's not the most appropriate color to wear in a place like this, but it's not a bad dress."

Chiie's face flushed red at Kenji's comment.

"Hey, in his family, that's a compliment," Asazaki reassured her, giving her a small reassuring smile as she sat down. "It really is a nice dress."

Chiie didn't say anything as she picked up a menu crossly. It proved to be a rather meager affair; the menu had pretty much been decided by the chef. The only choices to make went as far as a few early courses and beverages.

"What's an intermezzo?" Tenten asked Chiie, the latter gritted her teeth audibly at Kenji's small noise of disbelief.

"It takes place before they bring out the main course," Asazaki answered, figuring that Chiie's clenched teeth weren't about to unclench any time soon. "It cleanses the palate."

_Wow, a third of us are still missing and we're already getting along so well,_ Shikamaru thought dryly, glad Chiie was at the other end of the table. _At this rate, I simply can't wait for everyone to get here._

"Izari, I'm really fine," Jou's voice filtered into the room. Her red dress was just as vivid and brilliantly-hued as Chiie's. She smiled sweetly at everyone until she made eye contact with Kenji. But instead of frowning, she smiled even wider until she sat down. While he had given everyone a rather disdainful but ultimately impassive look, when he saw Jou he looked truly displeased.

"Up and about, I see," Kenji muttered.

"Everyone else noticed this several hours ago."

"I heard the injury was severe."

"It was, but Takayori-san is very skilled."

"If Konoha had a better medical program, _archaic_ devices such as surgical pins wouldn't be used and your injury could have been avoided completely. There's nothing like a little prevention to make all of our lives easier."

The surge of anger that flared up in Sakura was alarmingly intense. _He has the nerve to criticize our medical department?! He makes it sound like it's __**our**__ fault this happened._

Jou locked eyes with Kenji. "My arm was broken during a foreign shinobi invasion. Civilians aren't priority, I am aware of this. Resources were understandably scarce and I am in no way resentful of the help I received, 'inferior' as it may be. My arm was mended – that was all I could have asked for. Premier medical care isn't required for everything."

"Or _everyone_," Kenji corrected. "Your lack of priority is understandable, after all."

"I have a lot of respect for such a mindset," Shikami said suddenly, cutting off his brother's retort. "Jou-san, you're surprisingly grounded for someone as talented as you are."

Jou's dark eyes widened. "Um, thanks."

Shikami nodded. "You're welcome." He turned to Izari. "Izari, do you know when your brother is arriving?"

"I saw him and the Kazekage speaking in the foyer. I'm sure they'll be up shortly." It didn't go unnoticed that she didn't look at him.

"What about Rikichi and Sachi-chan?" Shikami asked.

Chiie perked up. "Ummm…it's almost nine, so…"

Asazaki grinned. "He's probably on the phone with Mihana-san. Mama's boy."

"What's this about a mama's boy?"

"How does the saying go, 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'?" Asazaki smiled as Rikichi reached the top of the stairs.

"You're far from the devil," Sachi told her dad, patting his arm.

"What took you so long?" Asazaki asked.

"I was just checking in with the missus. There was a little crisis at home."

The idea of someone only a few years older than him having a wife and three kids was still a little weird for Kankurou. _It's like he's less of a shinobi for it, in a way. He's just…normal._

"Crisis?"

"Oh yeah, she couldn't find figure out why my new pants had holes in them until I told her that _I_ put the holes in them. They look better that way. Did you know they _sell_ pants with holes already in them? They're _so_ expensive that way. I mean, why buy the ones with holes when you can just make the holes yourself?"

_Normal…ish_, Kankurou amended.

"We thought you were talking to your mother," Chiie admitted.

"Don't want to miss a check in," Asazaki added swifly. "It might be dangerous."

"And why's that?" Rikichi asked innocently.

"Your mom's a bitch," Kenji said bluntly.

"Kenji!"

"She _is_."

"She is not!" Rikichi looked flustered. He looked helplessly at his friends. "Is she?"

"Kenji picked the wrong word. She's more like…she's like a lion," Asazaki offered quickly, wincing when he realized what he had slipped in as a replacement. "She's uh, strong and…er, proud…"

"With sharp teeth and claws," Chiie added skeptically, giving Asazaki a look at giving her complete rubbish to work with.

"And a mane," Kenji muttered.

"The point is your mother's got plenty of great qualities…"

As Chiie attempted to talk Rikichi down, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji were all exchanging looks.

"This is one dysfunctional dinner and it hasn't even started yet," Shikamaru groaned quietly.

"It's only going to get worse," Neji predicted.

"Yeah, so suck it up, Shikamaru," Sakura hissed. "And where in the hell did you get that suit?"

" 'When' would be a more appropriate question," Neji corrected.

"I bought it for Asuma's funeral."

Sakura winced and if Neji were more expressive, she knew he would be doing the same thing. _Open mouth, insert foot…_

A very familiar chakra signature was closing in. Without a word, Gaara and Mura had ascended the stairs and taken their seats. Both were dressed in black, the color setting off their light, smooth complexions and brilliantly-colored hair. Takayori and Shukuchi were close behind. Tenten glanced nervously at Shukuchi, who seemed completely at ease with all of the finery and class surrounding him. He immediately picked up the wine list and perused it until Izari snatched it away wordlessly.

"I knew perfectly well what I was doing," Shukuchi told his mother contritely, making an unsuccessful grab for the list.

"It doesn't mean you're old enough to drink," she snapped.

"But Yoshida-sensei told me all about the various vintages," he began.

"Yoshida-sensei's a _liar_."

_End of conversation_, Tenten thought grimly, glad they were at the other end of the table. _Still…Shukuchi-sama is a fairly nice kid. I don't know how he did it, but he found me this beautiful dress and matching shoes in less than two hours…Er, he got that poor secretary to do it, anyway. Not the typical connections one thinks of when they think of a daimyo, but not surprising given this Yoshida guy's reputation…_

As Tenten picked up the menu, she was keenly aware of a glare from across the table.

"Yes?" she asked Kenji curtly, raising an eyebrow.

"Was I addressing you?" was his condescending reply.

"No, but it's fairly obvious you want to say something. Please share."

"If you insist," he said quietly. "I've always found it aggravating when I see people coveting things they can't afford."

"Since I'm the one paying for dinner, she's more than welcome to choose as she wishes," Izari said coldly. She glanced up at Tenten. "Honey, order whatever you want. I want you to be extravagant; I _insist_."

Tenten didn't answer but she could feel the tension in the room rise another notch. Even though they weren't on the best terms right now, Tenten longed to have Neji beside her instead of at the other end of the table. She didn't even know what the most expensive thing on the menu _was_, it was the only thing that sounded vaguely familiar and she was pretty sure it was something she didn't like.

"Wait, why are _you_ paying?" Rikichi asked.

"Consider it the dinner I owe you for bagging Monomori Ayase," Izari said dismissively.

"Dude, she totally one-upped you," Rikichi told Shikami earnestly. "I think you owe me more dinners."

Shikami rolled his eyes. "Bum."

"Good evening, may I take your drink orders?" A bright voice addressed the table.

"You're the student we talked to from the conservatory," Kankurou recalled.

"Um, yes, well," Hajime said sheepishly. "I need to pay the bills like everyone else. Can I get you anything?"

He diligently collected a list of drinks and fled, a wise decision in Shikamaru's estimation. _I'd get the hell out if I could, too, kid._

Tenten watched the teen descend the stairs until he was gone, eyes lingering there because she dreaded tackling her menu, which was composed of several different languages, apparently. After tearing her eyes away from the waiter, she stared at her menu, attempting to figure out what the hell half the things on the menu were.

"What's the matter?" Kenji's cold glare fixed her. "Didn't Konoha teach you how to read?"

The sound of Jou's chair scraping the floor was excruciatingly loud as she scooted closer to Tenten. With perfect inflection and pronunciation, she quietly read every course and explained what it was. When she finished, she leaned back, avoiding eye contract with Kenji.

_This is new_, Kankurou noted, as he'd never recalled seeing Jou quite like this before. Jumpy and skittish she was, but never outright tense and irritable.

"So, Tenten-san mentioned that you're quite fond of shougi," Shukuchi addressed Shikamaru suddenly.

"Yes, it's one of my favorite pastimes," Shikamaru admitted.

"I'd enjoy playing against you sometime, should the occasion arise," Shukuchi told him.

"You really don't want to do that," Asazaki blurted out.

Shikamaru glanced up. "Why is that?"

"No one in Lightning Country will play against him anymore," Rikichi said with a grin. "The kid's devious."

"I'm not _devious_, you just lack patience," Shukuchi said coolly. "And Kenji-san still plays shougi with me."

"That's because shougi's the only kind of game he's good at," Asazaki grumbled, glaring at the Kotabe. "Dude, we're never playing charades on the same team _again_."

Luckily (or not so luckily for Hajime), the waiter arrived with drinks and began to take orders. Tenten managed to struggle through the name of her order without any major gaffs, but immediately after, when asked about any wines, she was at a loss.

"Actually, she and I were going to share a vintage," Asazaki cut in smoothly, saving her from answering. He ordered something that sounded fancy and expensive (at least to Tenten) and gave her a brief smile.

_What the hell was that?_ Kankurou frowned.

A muscle in Neji's cheek twitched when he saw the relief that had flooded her face when he spoke up on her behalf. He couldn't very well yell down the table and stick up for her, but wasn't so sure he wanted Asazaki to in his place.

Hajime finished taking orders and was quickly off (_This guy knows what's up_, Shikamaru observed wryly), leaving the group in dead silence.

"So…what did you mean when you said my mom had a mane like a lion?"

_Well, __**beastly**__ comes to mind,_ Shukuchi thought grimly, inspecting a tiny scratch on the handle of his fork.

_Shit._ Chiie slapped her forehead in disgust, knowing immediately where this conversation was heading.

"You meant that she had wild hair, right?" Asazaki said, giving Kenji a warning look.

"No, I meant that God spent a couple of days trying to figure out whether or not to give your mother balls or not."

Shikami had hopped up and managed to maneuver his arms around Rikichi and drag him back into his chair. Chiie was staring at the ceiling pointedly, clenching her fists so tight Tenten feared blood would soon run down her palms.

"I actually like Mihana-san," Jou said casually. "I've never found her to be anything but courteous and polite. Yoshida cared for her very much as well."

"I was always of the opinion that my uncle liked his women beautiful and refined," Kenji returned distastefully. "Neither you or Mihana-san fall into that category, so please enlighten me as to why he would choose to spend time with either of you, and by extension, what qualifies you to speak on his behalf."

Jou's mouth dropped open but instead of yelling, she laughed. "I'm sure you would love to pin the 'mistress' title on me or something equally scandalous, but you're wrong. I loved Yoshida dearly, but he wasn't always very nice. He had this…_ah_, list…of prerequisites and I haven't accomplished any of them. Plus, he was, like, thirty."

"There's nothing wrong with being thirty," Takayori said with quiet indignity.

"Yoshida was thirty one," Chiie corrected Jou.

"God, I miss the days where he chased Mihana-san around like a lovesick puppy," Asazaki muttered.

"Since Yoshida liked her, that means my mom isn't _that_ masculine, is she?" Rikichi turned to Shikami.

"…Masculine is perhaps the wrong word," Shikami said tactfully. _Though Mihana-san would make a great man, now that I think about it…_

To everyone's surprise, Izari was the next to speak. "Kenji, you shouldn't have ordered steak and lobster. Asazaki's sitting too close; you could make him very sick."

"I'll be fine," Asazaki snapped petulantly, crossing his arms.

"See?" Kenji rolled his eyes at Izari, who took a deep breath and folded her hands on her lap. Kankurou could tell she was extremely agitated.

A long silence settled over the table; the Leaf and Sand nins were determined to observe and glean all possible information from the Lightning nins, as their emotions were running so high that whatever control they would normally possess was undermined by curiosity or antagonism.

"_So Izzie_…"

"Yes, Rikichi?" Izari dreaded the lilt to his voice…no doubt some type of embarrassing question or comment would emerge.

"Shikami and I need to settle some bets…can I ask you a few questions?"

"This isn't really the time for this…" Shikami began tentatively, giving Rikichi a disapproving look when he started to pull a slim black book out of his back pocket.

"I've got a very early bedtime!"

Surprisingly, no one laughed at how ridiculous this sounded, choosing instead to see where this would lead (_and who would get pissed off_, Shikamaru thought).

"I'll answer the questions, but not now," Izari conceded, sighing. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep any food down. Her head was beginning to throb. Her hands were shaking and all she wanted to do was stand up from her chair and scream because everyone's tension was driving her mad.

"You two make bets?" Kankurou asked Rikichi curiously.

"All the time."

"About what?"

"All kinds of stuff, man."

"Like what?"

"This isn't appropriate dinner conversation," Kenji's curt remark cut off Rikichi before he could even speak.

"This is kind of an informal dinner," Rikichi began. "They were just invited spur of the moment, you know?"

"We are at a very formal place," Kenji reminded him. "It doesn't matter how rich the family you marry into, you'll never stop being an inelegant peasant. You probably don't understand this, but most of us are here in Snow Country on actual _business_. I doubt the other shinobi representatives came all this way just to ski and play in a little band, and none of them want to hear about your childish bets."

The glass of water in Chiie's hand shattered, sending icy droplets of water cascading down her arm. Her quick reflexes prevented any from spilling onto her lap. She hurriedly sopped the water up in with her napkin.

"Whoops, clumsy me," Chiie said stiffly, leveling a very dark look at Kenji. "It must be due to my _inelegant peasant blood_."

_Class conflict much?_ Kankurou barely suppressed the quip.

Sakura breathed an audible sigh of relief as Hajime arrived with several other waiters, placing drinks at each seat. Tenten watched Hajime effortless open the bottle of wine (_He's fifteen…and he's awfully good at it_, she thought, frowning) and pour a glass for her and Asazaki. She stared hard at the salad that was also placed in front of her.

_I think they only put a teaspoon of dressing on here, _Tenten observed dismally._ And what fork am I supposed to use? Why do I have so many…?_

"Just work from the outside and work your way in," Kenji told her coolly. "It shouldn't be too difficult; I _do_ hope you can figure it out."

"Goddamn it, Kenji, what the hell's the matter with you?" Asazaki snapped, shooting his former teammate an icy glare.

Shukuchi looked as grave as always but relatively undisturbed by the behavior of the nins at the other end of the table. He merely shrugged before glancing up at Shikamaru again.

"I'm also told you're a fan of cloud watching," Shukuchi ventured.

"Did Tenten tell you that?" Sakura blurted out.

"No, my mother mentioned it," Shukuchi revealed. "She says you enjoy lying out in the sun and watching them. She told me it's a very peaceful pastime, and I'm inclined to agree."

"Oh?" This genuinely surprised Shikamaru.

_God, they're actually talking about clouds, for crying out loud_, Sakura groaned inwardly, hoping her face wasn't as agonized as she felt.

_I know my brother's a fan of letting other people do the talking, but this is ridiculous_, Kankurou thought. _Both he and Mura haven't said a word all night, save for their orders._

Neji was trying to make out the conversation that was going on at the other end of the table. It appeared that Kenji and his little sister were disagreeing about something, but he wasn't sure until very suddenly he was presented with proof.

"Kenji! This is ludicrous! I refuse to eat at the same table as you!" Amaya shouted suddenly, surprising everyone. The girl hopped off her chair and stormed down the steps past a rather confused Hajime.

"Amaya-chan," Shikami called after her. When she didn't look back, he got up from the table and followed her. Rikichi was now in the middle of a heated argument with Kenji.

_Two down, sixteen to go_, Chiie sighed.

As the entrees were set out before the occupants, another unbearably awkward silence fell on the group. Tenten was the first to pick up her fork. She was glad Kenji's attention was on Rikichi for the moment, wondering how long it would stay there.

"Elbows off the table, Rikichi," Kenji muttered. "Were you born in a barn or something?"

"Nose out of my business, Kenji," Rikichi's tone was civil but his jaw was clenched so tight Kankurou wondered how on earth the guy could chew. "And I was born in a hospital, just like you."

Izari could barely pick up her fork; the sight of Kenji's food was nauseating. As if noticing her discomfort, he calmly picked up his knife and cut a piece from the center. Izari stiffened at the sight of the red juice that leaked from the rare steak as his knife pierced the meat. She flinched when he stabbed it on his fork.

"I normally disapprove of such behavior, but since you appear so fascinated by my steak, would you like a bite?"

Kenji held the end of the fork across the table towards her. A drop of blood fell and landed on the pristine white tablecloth. He watched in satisfaction as Izari clamped a hand over her mouth and fled down the stairs. Asazaki barely managed to grab Rikichi in time to prevent him from taking a swing at Kenji.

"All right, I think it's time we take a walk, mate," Asazaki pulled Rikichi down the stairs with him, half-dragging him away from the table. Sachi followed them both, leaving both seats aside of Amaya's empty.

_God, we're dropping like flies_, Chiie thought grimly. _Shikami, Amaya, Izari, Sachi, Rikichi, and Asazaki…_

"Does it make you happy, insulting your fellow countrymen?" Tenten asked him finally. Every person sitting at the table was suddenly very still. Tenten didn't flinch, even when she felt every pair of eyes shift to her. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when she realized that amongst them was a very familiar pair of white ones.

"Izari isn't one of us."

Everyone at the table grew very still at Kenji's answer, except for Tenten, who fired back, "And why is that?"

"She ran away from her responsibility, abandoned her comrades and family to run off and _waste her time_. Lightning nins die every day and what is she doing? Singing, dancing, reading? She does not deserve to sit here and consider herself a shinobi of Hidden Cloud."

"And what about Rikichi? He's as much a Lightning nin as you."

"Even if he is, he's got nothing to do with negotiations here. He doesn't have the background for it. The only reason he didn't make a total fool of himself at this table is because my brother pitied him long ago and decided to teach him how to read a menu so he didn't look like a halfwit. Rikichi doesn't have any political power in Kumo. He came here to _fool around_. He wasn't selected to come here, he just invited himself along. What isn't good enough for Kumo is not good enough for me. He's just like you."

"What do you mean?" Tenten's voice was hoarse.

"If Konoha thought you were worthy of the responsibility you'd be here with _them_," Kenji jerked his head towards where Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji were very carefully avoiding eye contact. "But they obviously don't. Oh, you're _here_, but in the same way someone brings a pet to the table. You're in over your head, unprepared and undeserving. You're eating food you'll never be able to afford to eat again, food you can't even pronounce without the help of your friend. You're wearing a borrowed dress, a garment finer than anything else you own. And you're sitting with shinobi that are obviously more important, _better_ than you."

Tenten felt her throat swell up and feared she would very shortly be shedding the tears that threatened to pour in hot trails down her cheeks. He was saying everything she knew was true.

"Look at them," Kenji gaze fell casually upon the shinobi from Konoha and Suna. "One is a member of one of Konoha's greatest clans. Two helped defeat members of Akatsuki. And one is the Kazekage himself. You have nothing in common with them. You have none of their greatness. If you fit in with them you'd be here in an official capacity, but you don't, and you aren't. You don't belong at the same table as us."

"I was invited," Tenten bit out, barely managing those three words. Neji remembered hearing the same tone before, hearing the familiar note of delicate strength, strength he knew could be easily broken by someone cruel and determined enough to break it. He wondered how many times in his life this had been him, doing the exact same thing Kenji was doing now.

"You were invited because you were stupid enough to attack a shinobi that could have flattened you in a second," Kenji countered. "Shikami is not easy to provoke. You're fortunate he's so controlled and so willing to forgive; you're _so_ very fortunate it was not me you struck instead. I would have shown you how small and insignificant you are. You certainly need convincing of that."

Kenji leaned forward, oh so slightly, to emphasize his next point. Tenten did flinch now, her strong veneer beginning to crack.

"Notice how none of your so-called friends from Konoha are coming to your defense?" Kenji's voice was soft but his words were pointed. "Sakura-san, Neji-san, and Shikamaru-san all know how insignificant you are, how unnecessary your presence is here. They're true diplomats. See, they have to save their protest for things that _really_ matter, and your feelings and your dignity aren't one of them."

Tenten didn't dare look at Neji now, didn't dare to look at that impassive face and silent mouth. It hurt, so badly, to know that Neji couldn't, wouldn't defend her.

Across the table, Neji's fists were so tight that his hands shook. She hadn't deserved anything Kenji said to her, but he knew that even if he came to her defense, she'd ultimately feel worse. _Sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself_, Neji thought. _Coming to your defense_ _won't prove anything to him…and it'll just make you feel more helpless. Even if you don't realize that now, I hope you'll realize it later._

_I guess Neji's got an image to uphold, after all,_ Tenten thought bitterly, brown eyes running over his impassive face. She sat back in her chair and took a deep breath, heart heavy and eyes red. Without another word she swiped the cloth napkin off her lap and threw it on the chair. Neji felt every hurt and angry footstep deep inside his chest as she walked down the stairs. He turned angrily to face Kenji but found that someone else had taken up his cause.

"You son of a bitch."

"Excuse me?" Despite his harsh words earlier, real emotion and offense began to drip into his words as he turned to face Jou.

"Kenji, your mother didn't teach you very good manners, did she?" Jou's voice was clipped and her shoulders tense.

Chiie froze. _Oh God, Kenji's one big sore spot…_

"Who do you think you are, to talk about my mother?"

"I may be 'just a peasant' to you, but even my poor, _peasant_ mother taught _me_ that you're not supposed to insult the people sitting at the same table as you. I mean, who in the hell do you think _you_ are? You said it yourself; a lot of important people are here tonight. This whole political discussion is bigger than you, but all I've seen you do is make it your personal mission to upset the entire thing, to ruin everyone's hard work. Did they bring you along so you could insult everybody?"

Shikamaru noted that Shukuchi was watching this exchange with interest.

Kenji rolled his eyes. "Yet another person who doesn't deserve to sit here."

"I don't _want_ to sit at the same table as a spoiled brat like you," Jou exclaimed. "And I don't really have any right to talk about your mother, but I will say this: You should be glad she's dead; she'd die all over again at the disgrace of having such a son."

Kenji's gray eyes narrowed dangerously. "Your careless tongue will get you killed one day."

"You should ask yourself about the consequences of having such a sharp one," Jou returned evenly. "You have no right to insult me. You have no right to insult my friends. And unlike your mother, they're still alive to be hurt by what you say. So have some respect for the people here."

"You're giving me orders?"

"I'm giving you advice," Jou corrected. "And I'll even give you some help."

Jou stood up and snatched a glass sugar jar off the table. She unscrewed the cap and poured half the contents onto Kenji's plate. His reflexes were fast; even though some pieces of lobster went flying, he managed to spare most, but not all, of the rest of his food from the sugar. The table looked on in horror, watching the white crystals dissolve slowly into the surface of his steak before dragging their eyes back up to Jou and Kenji.

"Here, this should sweeten your tongue a bit," she told him pleasantly. "Forgive me: I didn't use the whole thing. I thought I'd save some for the rest of us. Besides, a little too much isn't good for you. I doubt you're hiding an insulin syringe in that expensive jacket you're wearing. I really don't care if you can kill me with a single jutsu. At least I won't die if I eat a donut."

Jou got up from the table and pushed her chair in. "Shukuchi-sama, I'm very honored you invited me to dinner. If you'll excuse me…"

Shukuchi nodded at her and she stormed down the stairs. She passed a very agitated-looking Asazaki on the way down. The black-haired shinobi paused at the top of the stairs and leveled a very dark look at his former teammate. He looked as if he was going to speak until he glanced at Takayori. Thinking better of it, he took his seat.

"Well, Rikichi took Sachi-chan and Amaya-chan back to the hotel for the night," Asazaki informed Shukuchi. "I didn't see any sign of your mother or Shikami, either." A pause. "Where's Tenten?"

"She had a change of heart," Kenji replied coolly.

Asazaki set his jaw. "I hope for your sake you didn't say anything bad to her."

"I didn't say anything she didn't already know," Kenji returned.

Neji narrowed his eyes. He could sense the anger roiling in Sakura as she fought to retain control. Asazaki eyed Kenji warily but continued to eat. "Even after eight years you and Jou-chan still don't get along, do you?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"It's not my loss," Kenji shrugged. "Why would I care if someone like _her_ dislikes me or not?"

" 'Someone like her'?" Sakura inquired delicately.

"Someone who clearly doesn't know her place," Kenji shrugged nonchalantly. "It's offensive."

"I can't boast any great love of Jou, but I'd say you've done your fair share of offending people tonight," Neji said quietly.

"Since you couldn't care less about Jou, I'm assuming you have a problem with how I treated the tall brunette."

Neji said nothing, didn't even flinch when Kenji's darker eyes raked over him in search of clues.

"Don't tell me she's your girlfriend," Kenji's lip curled up in disgust. "There's nothing _physically_ wrong with her, but I can't imagine that you'd want to go mixing genes like that in with your own. What a disaster."

"You don't _breed_ people like race horses or hunting dogs," Neji bit out.

"Don't they? Is there something wrong in taking measures to produce strong children? The Ikonji and the Zan families married to correct a genetic flaw in the latter, and while they've had highly-varied results, overall I'd say they've been successful."

Sakura saw Takayori's hand pause on his fork for a millisecond at having his ancestors' bloodlines explained in terms of an animal's.

"Wind Country bred a jinchuuriki into one of their own," Kenji continued, nodding towards Gaara. "Bloodlines and meant to be exploited to achieve power. Naturally, some control must be exercised in the process."

"And that's why your clan puts seals on your raptors, _branding them_?" Neji asked icily.

Kenji smirked. "Better than branding its _people_, wouldn't you say?"

The silence that followed this statement was seemingly endless. Neji didn't have the taste for anything on his plate anymore; he hadn't arrived at dinner with much of an appetite and now, pulse racing and blood pounding, the _last_ thing he wanted to do was eat. He stood abruptly, but with enough control that his chair made no noise.

"Excuse me," Neji said curtly, bowing to Shukuchi (who had been nothing but polite to him) before leaving. Shukuchi nodded, resuming his conversation with Shikamaru.

"God, you're such a dick," Asazaki said bluntly after Neji had left.

"Please, don't be vulgar," Kenji said distastefully, scooting away from where Asazaki was eyeing him irritably.

"Sir, you have an urgent phone call downstairs," Hajime addressed Gaara meekly from the end of the table. "The woman gave her name as Temari."

_Thank the fuck God,_ Kankurou sighed. _You'd better let me come along…_

"Your pardon, Shukuchi-sama," Gaara stood and bowed to the daimyo. His body language made it clear that he was taking this phone call alone and clearly meant for Kankurou and Mura to stay. The pair made brief, pained eye contact before dragging their attention back to the table.

"Did you do something to my food?" Asazaki turned to Kenji after a moment.

"_I_ wouldn't touch anything of _yours_."

Asazaki rolled his eyes at the curt tone but went back to eating.

"I've been very curious about this, but how often does it rain in Sunagakure?" Chiie addressed Kankurou and Mura. It was clear she was putting forth earnest effort to make sincere conversation.

"You want to talk about the weather?" Kankurou raised a brow.

"Where I'm from, the weather means everything. I doubt it's any different where you're from," Chiie said with a nervous, crooked smile.

"Every four or five years we get a weather system that comes through the area and drops significant amounts of rain on the village," Mura replied quietly.

Chiie smiled. "It's hard to imagine such a dry place. In Kumogakure, it rains or snows every day in winter."

"I could have done without last winters twelve-foot snow drifts," Takayori remarked.

"Remember how happy Rikichi was, though?" Asazaki smirked. "It doesn't take a lot to please that man sometimes, I swear."

"Twelve feet of snow?" Mura repeated.

"Yeah, up north, where Rikichi is originally from, there's always snow on the ground," Chiie informed them. "I'm from the Southeastern coast. It's like a tropical paradise."

"It's unbearably hot in the summer," Asazaki muttered in a low voice. "Don't even get me started on monsoon season."

"It must be a lot different living here," Sakura spoke up.

"It's an icebox up here, but I simply love teaching," Chiie smiled. "I used to dream of leading a genin team like Izari-sensei. I grew up admiring her so much. She was always so elegant, so smart…she was very demure, almost shy. She never spoke out of turn, was perfectly polite, and always knew when silence was better than words."

_Doesn't sound anything like the Izari we're familiar with_, Kankurou thought wryly.

"She taught me Italian and French," Chiie continued distantly. "And she got me interested enough in German that Yoshida-sensei taught me, after she left."

"How many languages do you know?" Sakura asked.

"I'm only fluent in German and Japanese," Chiie admitted. "I can converse in French and Italian; both are necessary for the ballets I perform, but Izari knew them on a much more involved, scholarly level."

"Japanese, Italian, French, and Latin are all required learning for the noble houses," Kenji informed the group. "German, Russian, Greek, and Spanish are all fairly common too. I'm fluent in all eight."

_It must be awfully handy to have someone around who's good with languages_, Kankurou thought. _He's probably a natural at breaking enemy codes. _

"So was Izari," Chiie fired back. "Izari was the one who taught you half of them, if I remember correctly."

"She taught us so we could do things like read Don Quixote and Anna Karenina in their native languages," Kenji said flippantly. "And while there may be some merit in learning for those reasons, they're not _practical_."

"All you care about is practicality, Kenji," Chiie muttered quietly. While it was obvious he overheard her, he said nothing, choosing to drink a sip of water instead. He hadn't touched any food since Tenten had left; if what Jou had said was true (and Sakura was now certain it was), he wasn't going to risk eating anything possibly contaminated by sugar.

"Izari, to be honest, was kind of nerdy," Asazaki smirked. "Growing up, she was either in the lab or the library when she wasn't with us."

"Kazekage-sama told me she was in the library earlier today," Mura informed him.

Asazaki smiled. His affection for his former sensei was clear, something that Sakura found endearing. "When she got married, Shikami had a library built for her."

"Hell of a wedding present," Kankurou coughed.

"Technically he built it for the entire city of Kumo," Kenji corrected.

"It bears her name," Chiie interceded stiffly, "and her family flower is planted in the front. Plus there was the small fortune your brother spent to have those first edition French plays imported from a private collector…It was all for _her_, really."

"Buying such an extravagant gift for a woman who's about to be married is improper," Kenji muttered.

"You wouldn't understand the sense of belonging to a tightly-knit team like them, no wonder you don't get it," Asazaki snapped. "Those three used to be inseparable, remember?"

"A lot's changed since then," Kenji told him simply.

"They still care for each other, I'm certain," Asazaki grit his teeth.

"I don't have to listen to this," Kenji snapped.

"Then leave," Asazaki spat.

"You know, when Raikage-sama told you to 'leave the kids at home,' perhaps he should have revised his assessment of 'child,' " Shukuchi told Takayori calmly, the latter of which was rubbing his forehead tiredly as a completely oblivious Kenji and Asazaki continued to verbally attack one another. "Are you going to drink that?"

Takayori shook his head wordlessly at Shukuchi, who eagerly clasped his hands around the ceramic mug of hot coffee that his uncle pushed towards him. After breathing in the rich aroma, he downed the entire thing in one leisurely sip. He glanced up when he noticed the weird looks Sakura and Kankurou were giving him.

"What?"

"It's nine in the evening," Sakura said flatly.

"Yes, and your point would be…?"

"You're drinking coffee at nine in the evening!"

"It was originally my uncle's," Shukuchi pointed out.

"But you're eight years old. Your body's not going to take well to that much caffeine."

"Eh," Shukuchi shrugged, turning back to where Kenji and Asazaki were still heatedly arguing.

"You've been doing this since you were a kid," Kenji told Asazaki coldly. "Izari was one of the only people in the village not terrified out of their wits by Nibi. You're always standing up for people that were nice to Yugito."

At the other end of the table, Chiie clapped a hand over her mouth.

Whatever Asazaki's intended reaction was, it certainly wasn't falling to his knees clutching his throat. His breaths escaped as unnatural raspy noises that made Kankurou's skin crawl. Sakura, who instantly knew something was wrong, was by his side in an instant, Takayori instantly behind her.

"He's having an allergic reaction," Takayori said knowingly, attempting to clear Asazaki's airway. "Mura-san, go downstairs and call the hospital, if you would."

Mura was gone instantly, and Kankurou barely lamented the loss before returning his attention to the scene before him.

"What could have caused it?" Sakura asked Takayori, watching as he made a tiny incision in Asazaki's neck, mirroring a barely-noticeable scar on the other side. She'd seen this done before, didn't even flinch as he inserted the end of a drinking straw into the area. Across the table, Kankurou was turning a little green.

"He's allergic to shellfish," Shukuchi answered her question. He leaned over, and with the tip of his fork, lifted a tiny sliver of lobster meat that had fallen into and hid in Asazaki's food.

"Izari was right," Chiie said quietly. "You two shouldn't have sat near each other."

"The only reason my food got anywhere near his food was because that little black-haired ingrate poured sugar all over my plate."

"In all fairness, I think you had that coming," Shukuchi muttered, eyeing his empty coffee cup sadly. He hadn't moved from the table, choosing to peer over the edge at a particularly interesting noise Asazaki was making every once and awhile.

Kenji sighed loudly, glancing at Sakura pointedly. "Can you get him out of here? He's ruining my meal with his choking sounds."

"I'm five-foot-fucking-four!" Sakura snapped at him. "Draw me a diagram of how I'm supposed to move someone who's got at least sixty pounds on me!"

"That's surprising, as my estimate for the difference between you was _far_ less than sixty pounds," Kenji said archly.

"I'll take him to the hospital, please sit down and enjoy the rest of your meal," Takayori told Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "I hope he'll be okay."

"We've cleared a path for the air, that's the most immediate concern," Takayori assured her. "Thank you for your assistance."

Sakura nodded.

"Goodnight, then," Takayori half-carried Asazaki down the stairs.

_How can this possibly get any worse?_ Kankurou thought hopelessly.

"What a shame," Kenji said loudly, the wry tone of his voice at odds with his words.

"What?" Kankurou asked in disbelief. "You're actually sorry that happened?"

"Of course not," Kenji said distastefully. "I was just lamenting a lost opportunity on his part. As that man's responsible for putting Hidan away," Kenji jerked his arm towards Shikamaru, who was completely oblivious, "Asazaki would have loved to thank you for avenging his sister for him."

"Sister?"

"The two-tailed cat jinchuuriki was placed in Nii Yugito when she was very small," Kenji told them. He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you should disregard what I said about Asazaki. He shouldn't care to thank you _that_ much. I mean, why would he? Yugito wasn't even his _real_ sister—"

**WHAM!**

Before Kankurou could blink, Chiie's tiny fist had punched a neat hole through the wooden back of the chair where Kenji had just been sitting. His gray eyes were wide as he watched her warily, circling the table carefully as he waited for her next move.

_He's lucky that punch didn't nail him_, Shikamaru observed, noting that Kenji seemed surprised Chiie had reacted in such a way.

_I can concentrate chakra like that in my fists, but I'm __**nowhere**__ near as fast_, Sakura thought.

Chiie calmly withdrew her fist from the chair, plucking a few random splinters from her knuckles without breaking eye contact with Kenji.

"I tried so hard to be nice today, but you made it difficult. I _like_ Tenten. Jou is one of my best friends. Rikichi _is_ my best friend. You've been nothing but intolerable tonight, and I have not called you on it because I promised your brother I wouldn't."

"Why would you be going and making promises to him?" Kenji asked her.

"Because I was trying to control myself!" Chiie shrieked, finger pointed at him accusingly. "I got a letter from my father telling me that he and my brothers have been evicted from your uncle's land. He's sure as hell not alive to do that, and your brother didn't do it, so there is one very obvious and very likely culprit left who did!"

"They've been evicted?" Kenji asked, his surprise was clear.

"Yeah, they _have_," Chiie snapped. "Like I said – not Yoshida, not Shikami, so it _has_ to be you. Why did you do it?"

"I didn't," Kenji told her simply, voice stripped of arrogance and disdain. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Oh, you're kidding me," Chiie said, her voice bordering on hysterical. "If you didn't, then who the _fuck_ did? You see, Yoshida's dead – it can't be him! And when Shikami tells me something, I know it's the absolute truth because he never lies and he never tries to mess with people and he wouldn't ever do anything to hurt me. But you? _Fuck you_. You'vee always, _always_ been out to hurt people. And you've always, _always_ been out to hurt **me**! I have every reason to disbelieve _every single thing_ you say."

Chiie cracked her knuckles and straightened her dress, smoothing the skirt primly before she turned to Sakura. "Would you like to accompany me to the hospital? I'd like to see how Asazaki is doing."

"Um, yeah, sure," Sakura having realized long ago the dinner was not salvageable as any kind of political gathering.

Chiie gently but firmly linked arms with her and the girls disappeared down the staircase. Kankurou waited until they were gone before he scanned the table skeptically.

_Gaara, phone call; Mura, phone call; Rikichi, hotel; Sachi, hotel; Amaya, hotel; Asazaki, hospital; Sakura, hospital; Chiie, hospital; Takayori, hospital; Neji, who the fuck knows; Shikami, who the fuck knows; Jou, who the fuck knows; Tenten, who the fuck knows; Izari, probably puking her guts out in some high-class bathroom…_

"Fuck this." Kankurou stood up and threw his napkin down. "I'm outta here. Later, kid."

He gave a mock salute to Shukuchi, who merely raised a blond brow before resuming his conversation with Shikamaru. Kenji, also disgusted, walked out wordlessly. He passed his brother, who remarkably was on his way back up.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Shikami sighed, surveying the nearly-empty table. He frowned when he realized what the only two remaining occupants were discussing.

"To be quite honest, I'm not a fan of nimbostratus clouds," Shikamaru admitted. "There's not enough variety in them."

"Sadly, that's all you're going to find in Kumo during the time of the chuunin exams," Shukuchi informed him. "But if you go down south you'll see some really great ones, especially at sunset…"

_I can't imagine what she's going to do when Izari realizes how dry and clinical her son can be sometimes, _Shikami thought. _Just like her, now that I think about it…_

"So, what's the plan?" Shikami asked Shukuchi gravely.

Shukuchi's gray-violet eyes dragged themselves over the table and empty chairs leisurely. "I'll send out an invitation for a meeting later this week and hope they show up. Honestly, at this point it's all we can hope for."

"Why did you let Kenji say all those things?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't like scolding my subordinates," Shukuchi told him honestly. "It undermines our hierarchy. He is an adult, after all, and I'm only eight years old. If his comments prevent this from going through, it's going to be on him, not me. And more than anything he wants to be sure you're committed. We can't have your assurances only to be later disappointed."

"So it's all a test?"

"In a sense," Shukuchi replied neutrally. "Though I'm fairly certain he despises the lot of you."

"Asazaki mentioned that he's known Jou-san for some time," Shikamaru began.

"They competed in a very elite competition as younger children," Shikami answered. "Kenji was playing the violin, Jou-san the piano."

"And she beat him?"

"Worse: it was declared a tie," Shikami revealed. "Kenji didn't like this very much, as you can imagine."

"I can't see someone like him accepting that," Shikamaru shrugged.

"It's not as if she beat him. But from what my uncle has told me, during the very rare and random occurrences when the two have seen each other, they've been at each other's throats."

"I kind of got the impression that he was at everyone's throat," Shikamaru grumbled. "At any rate, let's hope they don't catch sight of each other again."

"That's unfortunate," Shukuchi ventured. "I rather enjoyed their argument."

"I didn't," Shikamaru muttered. "After tonight, you're lucky if any of us show up at the next meeting."

"It doesn't matter what you want, it's what your Kages and daimyos want," Shukuchi returned evenly. "At any rate, I hope you enjoyed yourself this evening."

Shikamaru took Shukuchi's outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake. While he didn't like lying, he had to admit, strictly from his point of view, the night had been okay. "I had a good time, thank you."

When Shikamaru got up and left, he nodded politely to Shikami. Shikami looked like he was about to leave on that note, but before he was two feet from the table, a noise from Shukuchi had him turning back. The boy outstretched his hand.

"Brat," Shikami sighed, fishing in his pocket for his wallet. Shukuchi smiled serenely as he accepted the money, counting it briskly before tucking it away.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," Shukuchi called after the retreating figure of Shikami, unable to keep a smile out of his voice.

**-O-**

**Author's Notes:** Well…there you have it. Every Lightning nin acts like a seven-year-old child. But seriously, emotions are running very high. One of Kumo's most powerful Lightning nins has just been murdered, they've all just found out that someone they loved is actually still alive, and the war is escalating so fast they're forced to tap previously unthought-of resources. The story is going to eventually head to Suna, then Lightning Country itself…

Neji's going to find out a lot of new things about the circumstances of the plot responsible for his father's death, and Tenten's going to be doing a lot of thinking about what she's going to do next. Neji is a person of interest to Third Party, as it turns out…


	24. Precision

**Precision**

_Sonnie_

Mura stood in the teahouse restroom, which was actually composed of several areas. Closest to the exit was a large room with a couch, coffee table, and loveseat. A bouquet of orchids was in a white crystal vase and a recognizably expensive painting hung on the wall. At the end of the hall was an area that appeared designated for changing clothes, as the stalls had no plumbing, the floor was carpeted, and mirrors lined the walls.

Mura was by the sinks in the lavatory, gazing into a circular looking glass to determine if she looked as frazzled and helpless as she thought. The dinner had been a nightmare, one of the guests had nearly died, and more than half of the people at the table had been so frustrated or offended that they'd left altogether.

_Kazekage-sama has enough to deal with already,_ Mura thought darkly. _The last thing he needs to worry about a veritable circus of nins who can't behave themselves…_

"Izari-san, are you in here?"

The quiet voice queried from the doorway, but the speaker wasn't shy. Mura saw that it was the youngest Kotable sibling, Amaya. Despite the fact Mura knew many distinctive-looking shinobi, there was something particularly striking about the young girl, yet in a decidedly understated way. Her demeanor was always serious and she never seemed to simply _look_ the way a normal child did. There was no wonder or innocence in her expression, only acknowledgment. In fact, when Mura had spotted her several days earlier, without even knowing for certain she was a shinobi, she noted how responsible the girl was around her companions.

"Amaya-chan, you already know I'm back here," a voice called from around the corner. Mura had thought she'd been alone; Izari's presence in the nearby area surprised her, though she wasn't able to see her. From the sound of her voice, it sounded like she was in the last area. It was difficult to resist her curiosity, but she stayed where she was, allowing her information-gathering skills to collect the data, discreetly casting jutsus after the girl had passed.

Amaya wasn't concerned about the woman from Sand listening to them. The nature of her visit wasn't particularly interesting to outsiders anyway. Izari had been hunched in the corner of the room, knees gathered to her chin, spilling her vivid violet skirt across the thick ivory carpet. Izari barely glanced at Amaya, who was mildly puzzled why the blonde was sitting on the ground and not on the luxurious chaise provided. She noted that Izari's position was the only place in the room that didn't show up in a mirror.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay. Shikami told me what happened."

Izari's eyes narrowed. "Concerned, is he?"

"He tried to get in here but the management stopped him. He's very worried, and asked me to give this to you."

Amaya reached in her coat pocket and pulled out, to Mura's surprise, a carrot.

"Shikami always said that carrots are good for your eyes, but they don't do his much good," Amaya admitted.

In spite of herself, Izari smiled.

"Well, since I delivered his message, I should probably try and find him. I think the management tried to call the police. He was trying to enter the women's bathroom with a bag of fruit and vegetables…I don't think they understood him." Amaya sighed indulgently. "But then again, not many people _do_ understand him."

Izari gave her a lopsided grin and shook her head.

Ayama smiled and bowed to Izari and left, giving Mura a sweet smile and a cute wave on the way out. In the bright tungsten lights of the bathroom, Mura noticed how dark and glossy her hair was, with beautiful ringlets that curled beautifully around her face in a distinctly whimsical, childlike way. When the end of her pink coat disappeared around the corner, Mura considered that the girl had paid her no mind on the way in. It was only after Mura had entertained thoughts of her being so adult that the girl finally acted her age, the little wave replaying in her mind.

_It's not as if she can read minds_, Mura rationalized as she returned her attention to the mirror. Still not entirely satisfied that she looked her normal unflappable self, she had no choice but to meet up with her boss.

**-O-**

Neji felt that he could take deep breaths all night long and still suffocate under the weight of his fury. He stood on one of the balconies of the teahouse, oblivious to the icy air around him. In fact, it only seemed to make his anger burn more clearly. Kenji's words didn't just sting, they fell like axe blows upon a battered branch.

_Because everything he said was true. I used to convince myself, very unsuccessfully, that Tenten wasn't any good for me. First it was because she wasn't strong enough…but that changed, didn't it? She's not the best but she's good at what she does. There's such honesty and connectedness in what she does…weapons truly belong in her hands. _

_Then I thought that we were incompatible because of my family name and her lack on one…but that didn't last long; the excuse was too feeble. Kenji's right; my uncle would be far from thrilled if I married Tenten. The chance of any children having Byakugan wouldn't be that high, and the odds of my skill being passed along with my bloodline? A child without the benefit of pure blood could not possess my capabilities._

_And now…now when it feels like I'm finally starting to get her back, I see myself losing her at the same time. I'm starting to see parts of her I don't like. She's stopped trying to hide all of her flaws from me and I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted. There was a time when she'd never look at another man when I was around, and even if I wasn't. Now she flirts with men right in front of me, though she was never really mine…she __**was**__ mine. _

"Neji?"

Neji instantly recognized the voice. It wasn't a pleasant recognition, but before any retort or insult could jump to his lips, he hesitated. Neji couldn't find bad words for Jou, not when she had stood up for Tenten when he did not. Neji inclined his head towards her somewhat receptively. Jou sighed when she realized that was all she was going to get, but her resignation wasn't directed at him. He could sense, rather than see, her shoulders tensing for what was undoubtedly another one of her lectures. He didn't care that he didn't live up to her expectations of a good friend, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear about it, especially not now.

"What do you want?"

"I know I'm not nice to you. I know I never have good things to say to you. But I don't do it to be mean, I do it because you're so important to people I care about. I get tired of you hurting them."

Neji wasn't sure if a response was necessary, and was relieved when she continued unprompted.

"You, Tenten, and my brother were such a great team, once. For all of your differences, you made sure these conflicts never made their way onto the battlefield; they never interfered with the mission. Believe it or not, I admire you for that, for usually being able to see the bigger picture. You relied on each other, needed each other, understood each other, and trusted each other. You three aren't like that anymore."

"Asazaki, Chiie, and Kenji used to be just like you. They were a perfect team. They were even best friends. Izari-chan told me once that she never knew of a three-man-cell so efficient. But things obviously didn't stay that way."

Jou smiled sadly, dark eyes gazing at the moon distantly.

"They…they were so close until they realized Izari was leaving, that she couldn't be their instructor anymore. No one has a better sense of duty or has sacrificed more, and that's even taking into account her departure from Kumo. But Chiie, Asazaki, and Kenji…they all felt so differently about it. Chiie defended her and still does. Asazaki was on the fence…he never had money, so it wasn't a situation he could really understand, and while he didn't judge her harshly, he wasn't supportive of her. And Kenji…Kenji was so disappointed in her. Kenji hated her for doing it. He resented what he saw as her unwillingness to stand up for herself. He hurt them."

"Are you saying that we're like them, that _I'm_ like _him_?" Neji demanded icily, not liking the parallels she was alluding to.

"No." Jou's answer was firm. "I know _exactly_ why he acts the way he does, but his reasons don't impress me, not at all. I'm saying that those three: Asazaki, Chiie, and Kenji, used to love each other as friends. They were a three-man cell at its most perfect. Three people that were closer teammates than you, Lee, and Tenten ever were grew to hate, mistrust, and resent each other more than any other human beings I've met. If it can happen to people like that, who's to say it can't happen to you three too?"

_I'm not like that_, was the first thought that jumped to Neji's mind before he realized that half of his thoughts and actions were designed to create distance, erect barriers, and protect himself…like any good ninja. And Kenji…was a very good ninja. His behavior didn't win him any friends but it guaranteed no distractions…

_Some people, those who are good at sorting out their feelings and strong enough to believe in them, find strength and comfort from such attachments,_ Neji thought. _And other people, people who've grown up similarly alienated but not as confident, not as wise, view such relationships as a detriment. There's that extra step that others have gone…people like Naruto. Some people are not only strong enough for themselves, but strong enough for others._

"Tenten and my brother…they _need_ you. You need _them_. Deep down, I think you know that. I just wish you'd act like it. My brother knows you care about him and I accept that. It's hard to spot, but you do, I can tell. But I don't know if Tenten knows. And when you love someone, I suppose it's harder to show them. In no way do you act as wretchedly as Kenji, but the similarities are there, the potential to wreck everything. But Tenten's not a lost cause; Neji, you've still got a _chance_."

"Sometimes, I wonder if I've already lost her," Neji said quietly, revealing a piece of information to her that he had barely acknowledged himself.

"As long as you care if you have, you haven't," Jou answered. "Tenten still has a whole heart left. She's not empty. Sometimes people go astray and get lost, but Tenten's lucky enough to always have people looking for her. You're just another guide, and when it comes to her, I think I can stand you enough to let you help."

Jou glanced sideways at Neji. "You do want to help, right?"

Neji weighed her tone in his mind; it was a statement, not a question. With a quiet nod, he listened to her fading footsteps before turning his eyes back to the night. Before she gone entirely, he barely caught her words.

"Thank you."

**-O-**

"I wish that asshole could have kept his mouth shut," Shikamaru grumbled to Kankurou. The two nins were standing by the bar close to the entrance. They both decided on a quick drink of something heavier than wine was in order after the night they'd had.

"I don't know what I'd do if I had a brother like Kenji," Kankurou muttered.

"Personally, I just ignore him," a voice said as it walked past them. The pair looked up in time to see a very sheepish looking Shikami being led away in handcuffs.

Kankurou stared. "What happened?"

"Umm…a misunderstanding?" Shikami offered meekly, his imprisoned wrists handicapping his shrug.

"I haven't seen you in fifteen minutes and you've been arrested?" Shikamaru asked blankly.

"They have very prompt police officers in this country, I've noticed," Shikami commented before being pushed out the door.

**-O-**

Tenten managed to stop herself from slamming the bathroom door upon realizing she was not alone. Too angry to even notice the first room, when she saw Mura at the sink, she hurried down the hall immediately giving no thought to what might lie beyond. She was shocked to discover Izari, of all people, looking spaced out of her mind absently munching on a carrot.

Tenten wasn't sure what had made her stick up for the Lightning nin at dinner. But the Izari she knew from Fire Country was gone, and in her place was someone withdrawn, quiet, and bookish. She just…didn't fight. It wasn't as if she was scared, but she just didn't seem to have it in her, something Tenten was unwilling to accept after watching her stick up for Jou countless times before.

"You okay, Ten-san?" Izari asked, eyes still staring ahead blankly.

"Couldn't I ask you the same thing?" Tenten asked dryly; standing in a room full of mirrors made sure she knew a list of what _wasn't_ wrong would be a lot shorter.

Izari snorted. "Kenji get to you too?"

"Yeah. Was he that bad as a genin?"

Izari snorted. "Worse."

"How the hell could someone be worse than _that_?"

Izari made some unpleasant face that Tenten wasn't able to read. "The responsibilities of heir were thrust upon Kenji practically from birth. Shikami made it quite clear, from an early age, that he had no interest in anything his father wanted for him."

_Neji's life sure would have been different if his uncle had done that to him instead of Hanabi,_ Tenten thought, remembering how Hinata had been similarly overlooked.

"Their father grew to be indifferent to Shikami, focusing all of his attention on Kenji. Kenji is…well, he's always been under intense scrutiny to behave a certain way. He's not supposed to be _nice_. In fact, when he was smaller, he actually was very sweet, a trait that was stamped out early. By the time he got to me he was trained by his father to be ruthlessly competitive, and with Asazaki around, it was far from fun."

"I still can't believe you got control of a genin team when you were twelve."

"Well, I was practically thirteen," Izari shrugged without false modesty. "God, they were a handful. Kenji never took my lessons seriously, at least until he realized Asazaki was. Those two were unbearable, and poor Chiie…What a talented girl. And for a brief time, for a period of about eighteen months before I had to leave them as an instructor, they were brilliant, even _perfect_. They got along. They were close. _They __**trusted**__ each other_. And then I found out I had to get married. Things fell apart."

Tenten heard that last statement in her mind as cold and clear as a bell. It almost seemed to lash across her brain, because it summarized exactly how she felt when she'd parted ways with Neji and Lee. It wasn't immediately after, the time and place weren't something she could pin down, but the feeling of helplessness wasn't something that had left her, not even more than a year and a half later. She looked at Izari; if anyone knew about a life unraveling, it would be her. She empathized with the blonde woman for perhaps the very first time, because she knew without a doubt that Izari just _understood_.

"It was one of the worst days of my life, telling them about the decision my brother made with the Raikage. Asazaki knew he'd probably never see me again, that I would become like every other rich person that ignored him. He had always thought I was different, that I would stand up for myself. I disappointed him. And Kenji realized that despite my power and ability, I wasn't strong enough to fight a decision and he promptly dismissed me. I guess he was expecting me to fight it, too. Chiie alone stuck up for me; she understood duty better than either of them."

Tenten felt the sharp bitterness of Izari's voice not only upon her ears, but in the air around her. She wondered if the woman knew how strongly she was projecting her emotions.

"Chiie was the only one that was concerned for me as a person, the only one who didn't view me as a symbol of defiance against the hierarchy they both resented. She was the only one of the three who truly knew what situation I was in, because she had spent such a large amount of time in it herself. She spent so much time trying to fit in with her team, just like I tried to fit in with my peers. And while my acceptance was blessedly and unexpectedly quick amongst my teammates, she labored for years to get their recognition."

Tenten was instantly grateful for the fact that _her_ strong, male teammates had accepted her quickly, had acknowledged her skills and worth. Chiie had always been nice, but there was always strength and urgency to her actions, a sort of underlying eagerness and nervousness. It was as if she could never truly relax…

"All of Chiie's hard work…And in an instant she was discarded by them both. All along she wasn't good enough to beat them, and after I announced that I'd soon be getting engaged, they never encouraged her at all. That's why she got so close to Rikichi, I suppose…she later apprenticed herself to him."

"Apprenticed?"

"All of us trained under the same rigid curriculum as genin, but as chuunin, we were expected to pick a field. In order to become jounin, we had to pass not only a universal shinobi field exam, but a preliminary medical exam as well. It wasn't anything as advanced as a true medical student at a university, but it was very difficult. Every ninja in Lightning Country is required to have a medical specialization."

"That _sucks_."

Izari smiled. "It was tough, yes, but as long as you took it seriously, it wasn't too bad."

"There's some people from Hidden Leaf that would make terrible doctors," Tenten muttered, thinking about how many times Sai would get decked for telling a woman how ugly she was.

"Some people simply shouldn't be in the field, but it's a requirement. It's been an accepted practice for so long that it's not even a big deal anymore. Ugh, there was this one student apprenticed to Mihana-san…I'm _so_ glad he wasn't my genin student or I'd have kicked him through a wall. _Laziest_ man I ever met."

"Lazier than Shikamaru?"

Izari laughed. "He makes Shikamaru look like he works harder than Rock Lee. Every student was sent to Rikichi's mother at some point because no one was better at physical training. Reflexes, speed, strength…she was a slave driver and I'm sure she still is, _but did she produce results._ The very first thing she did was work on improving our stamina by making us perform menial tasks all day, such as cleaning a room or painting a house. And I can honestly say that Jin, the lazy bastard, came up with jutsus that did all of those things. I don't know how he's so good with seals, I've never seen the guy read, but he's insanely creative."

"You can perform jutsus that do all of your chores?" Tenten asked skeptically.

"He was washing dishes, scrubbing linoleum tiles, vacuuming the carpet, and doing the laundry all at once while he sat on his ass doodling in a notebook and listening to music in the next room. Mihana-san was _furious,_ which is probably why he's so fast; you've got to be fast to outrun someone like that."

"Are all of the ninjas from your country crazy?" Tenten asked.

"_Yes_."

Tenten wasn't expecting such an emphatic answer, and only nodded in response.

"Every single person you're going to meet from our country has been so thoroughly socially conditioned in some mishandled, awkward way that in no way could we ever be construed as normal. Some of us are friendly, but we've all got problems…to put it mildly. 'Specially me and Shikami, now that I think about it."

"I can't say I get the guy," Tenten admitted. "He showed genuine remorse about what he did today."

"He _is_ sorry," Izari said earnestly. "Even if I didn't know he was actually a really nice guy, I can feel that he is."

"You can _feel_ it?"

"My bloodline, at my level, makes me extremely susceptible to outside stimuli," Izari began. "I'm very vulnerable to base emotions and feelings; agitation, fear, pain…anyone and everything, even animals, _especially_ animals. Animals' emotions are purer because they don't have all that rational thought getting in the way, there's just instinct. It's why I refuse to eat meat."

"The steak…"

Izari lost considerable color in her face. "I haven't eaten meat since I was six. I threw up the last time I tried, to be honest. If you ever want to have a bloodline, remember that some people don't have the luxury of turning it off. I'm bombarded by people's emotions nonstop throughout the day, but it's the children that lack shinobi training and let their emotions run wild that affect me most. It has its uses, but sometimes 'power' is more of a burden than a gift."

"Maybe if I had a bloodline I wouldn't feel so goddamned useless," Tenten sighed, leaning her head back against a cool wooden panel.

"What did Kenji say to you, exactly?"

"Oh, the typical 'you're uneducated,' 'you're weak,' and 'you're useless' spiel," Tenten attempted nonchalance but failed miserably.

"For as rich as his family is, they had to grow up incredibly fast," Izari said distantly. "I'll bet it was similar with your friend, Neji."

Tenten's first thought was that there was no way in hell he was anything like Neji, but realized with a start that she didn't know a lot about how Neji grew up, and the knowledge made her very sad.

"I know that Rikichi, Shikami and I were all on the same schedule as genin. Every day was planned; get up at four-thirty, have lessons, eat breakfast, have more lessons, eat lunch, lessons again, dinner, yet even more lessons, then bedtime. Seven days a week, no breaks unless you were injured or ill; genin weren't sent out on missions, really. It just set you up for becoming a chuunin, when you'd pick a field or area of concentration and serve as an apprentice. Everyone contributes to society somehow; Lightning Country accepts nothing less than excellence."

"Sounds like torture," Tenten told her frankly.

"We used to spend nearly every second of every day together," Izari murmured. "Hell, Yoshida even locked us all in a tiny apartment for a week straight as soon as our teams were formed. We started the day off as strangers and wound up in the same bed, huddling together for warmth in the poor excuse for a sardine can Yoshida shoved us into. After that, we were inseparable, the three of us."

"Even though it sounded really tough, I think you miss it," Tenten told her.

"You never miss the good old days?" Izari returned without missing a beat.

"Sometimes," Tenten admitted. "Things were a lot less complicated."

"Complicated isn't necessarily bad," Izari began, but quickly added, "Though it _is_ a pain in the ass. I'm so glad that even though Rikichi, Shikami, and I were so close growing up, it never got weird, at least not until they found out I was getting married."

"I can't imagine what Neji or Lee would do if Gai-sensei married me off to the daimyo," Tenten chuckled.

"Well, Neji would probably bust a vein," Izari snorted.

Tenten laughed. "Or kill the daimyo." She grimaced when she realized what she said.

Izari's eyes went vacant. "For as close as Shikami and I were, it was never what I'd call a romance. Love, definitely, but not in the kind of way where you want to marry them or grow old together or have children or anything like that. To be honest, I've never seen him _in_ love with anyone, not even remotely. But with him and I…it was just…I don't know, this really perfect friendship where we'd put the other person first. I can honestly say I never held it against him that he killed my husband."

At Tenten's puzzled expression, Izari sighed.

"I loved my husband as a person but not as a man, and as a political figure his very life was always at risk. I think I held it against Shikami for doing something that he knew would hurt me, even though that wasn't his intent in doing it. We spent so long, what seemed like forever – ten years – never hurting one another. We weren't perfect angels but we were never mean-spirited, never cruel or harsh. _They protected me_."

Tenten knew what she meant when Izari's unabashed wistfulness washed over her. It was almost as if she could feel the longing as if it were her own. The feeling of Neji's eyes on her if she hesitated in battle…the blur of green that would whiz by if she cried out…There was nothing else like it, knowing that your teammates had your back.

_I miss it_, Tenten thought. _I thought for so long that I needed to break free from it in order to thrive as a shinobi. _

"I'm not trying to be rude (please believe me now, I'm being serious) but I've got a tiny piece of wisdom for you. Not advice, but more along the lines of a useful observation."

"Okay…"

"You and Neji…well, there's not a whole lot to you aside from being a shinobi. Not that it's the only thing you've got going for you, but it's clear that neither of you wants to be anything else. Not everything has to be so complicated between you – you're both over thinking. Why were you close in the first place?"

"We were a team," Tenten answered automatically, "But it was more than that. Even though Lee and Gai-sensei always trained together, Neji never sought anyone else to train with aside from me. We always had a strange kind of bond."

"Well, you _were_ stuck on a team of loonies," Izari eyed her pointedly, but she smiled.

Tenten smiled back. "Maybe that's how it started, but eventually we just kind of fell into place together…without even trying. I don't like the idea of having to work so hard for something that used to be effortless."

"If it were still effortless, it would mean that neither of you has changed in over eight years."

"That's not what I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know!"

"Is that what you want, to be the same girl you were eight years ago?"

"No, it's just…it shouldn't be this _hard_!" Tenten stammered finally. "I don't want things to be the way they were, but things haven't changed _that_ much, have they?"

"Well…_have _they?"

"I—"

Tenten stopped mid-sentence, closing her mouth before opening it, then closing it again. She sighed. "Neji became a jounin when he was fifteen, and I became one when I was seventeen. I joined ANBU for a year on my eighteenth birthday, and ever since my nineteenth birthday I've just been…well, I don't really know what I want."

"You do want Neji, though, am I right?"

"Yeah, but…"

Tenten paused, despite how easy the answer had come.

"You don't know what else you want beyond that, do you?"

Tenten's shoulders fell.

Izari looked at her carefully. "Allow me to pose a hypothetical: if Neji were to fall off the face of the earth, at this very moment, and all you were permitted to cherish was one memory, one special trait about all the time you two have ever spent together, what would it be? What would you miss the most?"

"I miss fighting by his side," Tenten answered in a heartbeat, realizing that it wasn't much of a hypothetical question. Neji had been pretty much erased from her life over the past few years, not through any series of deliberate decisions, but through choices she made and their outstanding consequences. For all intents and purposes, he almost _was_ gone, at least had fallen off of _her_ earth.

But she hadn't forgotten, not in the slightest, how exhilarating it had been, with Neji at her back, her at his. She knew that he wanted her there, needed her to cover that tiny fraction of a degree that he called a blind spot. She had once secretly found it to be her saving grace, her raison d'être, in many ways, or at least just one: it meant that she would be with him a little longer, that she was _necessary_.

"From what I can tell, the dream of fighting by his side again isn't so far-fetched. You are both _alive_, after all, and from what I've learned today, that's the best place to start."

Tenten looked at Izari carefully. "How come you're so good at talking things through?"

"I was on a team of loonies too," Izari said flatly. "Don't let them fool you. They're freaking weird."

"They don't seem too bad, despite what you said."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Shikami was just arrested, so we'll just have to see tomorrow."

**-O-**

"Are you trying to sabotage us?" Shukuchi asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he addressed a rather apathetic Kenji.

"We've gone this long without help and then you expect me to be okay when you suddenly ask for it…what about all the people who died so far? It's like admitting that their sacrifices weren't good enough, that _they_ weren't good enough."

"If they were this war would have been over a long time ago," Shukuchi snapped. "Your dad is giving his ninjas missions and objectives that conflict with mine; I'm only eight so for the time being I'm going to have to live with that. But whenever there's an argument you always have to take things to the next level. What you said to Hyuuga Neji was inexcusable. I'm not going to ask you to apologize; no apology should be made if it has to be forced, as it's obviously insincere, but I _am_ going to ask that you stop antagonizing people. I'm going to demand it, actually."

Kenji said nothing, _did_ nothing to betray how he felt or what he was thinking. It was very surprising when finally, after a moment, he spoke.

**-O-**

Fifty miles outside Snow Country, a blond-haired shinobi was casually relaxing outside his camp. Despite the cold weather, he was in a good mood. For the first time that day he was alone, and he relished it. Reaching into his bag, his hand closed around an elegant glass bottle. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to take his first sip, something he'd been looking forward to all week.

"Jin-san, didn't Obaa-chan tell you not to drink on the way here?"

Jin blinked in disbelief at the four-year-old face looking at him critically.

_How in the hell do they sneak up on me?_ Jin expelled a breath sharply. _I swear, sensei teaches them to do this on purpose._

"This is just water," Jin assured her, mussing her hair affectionately, which didn't stop her dark brown eyes from regarding the bottle in his hands with suspicion.

"That's not water."

Jin's head jerked around to look at a nearly-identical small face with the same dark eyes. Jin scowled.

_Twins. Honestly._

"But it's clear like water," Jin reasoned.

"It smells like the stuff Tou-chan puts on his cuts," the first girl said, the bottle now in her hands.

"Give that back!" Jin successfully swiped the bottle out of their tiny fingers, in time for him to be caught red-handed.

"Sensei!" Jin smiled broadly at the dangerously narrowed eyes glaring daggers at him. Inwardly he was withering, but years of experience had at least taught him how to put on a game face.

"Jin, give me the bottle."

"But it's a bottle of Diaka…do you know how expensive that is? They distill it using diamonds and I had to pay a guy a fortune just to get that before it was available to the…" Jin ran a hand through his blond hair helplessly before handing it over without another word.

"Thank you, Jin." A cool smile, then a steady sip. "I've always wanted to try it."

Jin balked. "Then buy your own damn bottle!"

"JIN, IF YOU SWEAR IN FRONT OF MY GRANDCHILDREN AGAIN I WILL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET IT FOREVER."

Jin shrunk back.

"Yes, ma'am."

Back at camp, Jin sorrowfully watched his bottle of exclusive, pricey vodka disappear down the throat of his sensei.

"Thought there wasn't supposed to be drinking on this trip," Jin grumbled.

His sensei laughed, a deceptively sweet sound. "Just on your part."

"Why just on my part?"

His sensei laughed again.

"Because I wanted that bottle of vodka."

Jin buried his face in his hands and groaned.

**-O-**

"So, all in all, not one of the best dinners I've been to, but the wine was superb," Asazaki's weak attempt at humor brought a smile to Sakura's worried face. His voice was understandably hoarse, but that didn't stop him from attempting small talk.

"Well, at least Kenji didn't do this to you on purpose…" Sakura trailed off hopefully.

"Doing something a second time takes away some of the thrill, I suppose," Asazaki muttered ironically.

"He's the one responsible before?"

"Honestly, for the sake of my own sanity, I maintain it was an accident, though I could be wrong," Asazaki told Sakura nonchalantly.

"Asazaki, you almost died, quit trying to be charming!" Chiie snapped.

"_Chiie-chan is jealous_," Asazaki's weak voice sang.

Chiie gave him a look so withering and cold that Sakura was amazed his blood didn't freeze in his veins.

"Sakura-chan, could you leave us alone for a few minutes, please?" Chiie's request was so earnest that Sakura acquiesced instantly, without question. Only when Sakura had shut the door behind her, did Chiie speak. Her very quiet voice took him aback; Chiie rarely spoke so softly or deliberately.

"Asazaki, my family's been evicted. Our mentor, and truthfully, the only force that kept our positions here safe, is gone. And now we're being forced to return to Kumo or we'll be branded as missing nins. I have no doubt that Kenji will kill us if we refuse to go back."

"You really think he'd do that?"

"Yes."

"Chiie…I know you've got every reason to hate him, but the guy isn't evil. Killing his two best friends—"

"—Former best friends," Chiie corrected.

"—Is something not even _he_ would be able to go through with. I think you've misjudged him."

"_I've_ misjudged him?"

"Chiie, listen—"

"No, _you_ listen!"

The vehemence in Chiie's voice silenced Asazaki immediately.

"Everything is changing. You can't go around acting like nothing's wrong. I see the way you look at Tenten-chan. I'm the last person to discourage anyone but her heart belongs to someone else."

"He didn't come to her defense, not once," Asazaki said quietly. "Hyuuga pride apparently prevents one from sticking up for others."

"It wouldn't have looked good if he did," Chiie told him. "It would have made it look like she couldn't defend herself."

"Well, it's not like it made much difference, as she was gone by the time I got back. I'm just glad that Hyuuga got what he deserved—"

"—No one deserved that!" Chiie cried exasperatedly. "Just think about how Kenji acted tonight. He's _nervous_. And if that block of ice is nervous, it means things are a lot worse back home than my family's letting on. Asazaki, aren't you scared?"

"Kumo did nothing to protect my sister. Why should I do anything to help them?"

"Are you so secure in the knowledge Kenji might not kill you that you're willing to risk your life?" Chiie asked.

"I've got nothing to lose."

"How can you say that?"

"Fuck Hidden Cloud. They put that demon into Yugito and then abandon her at the mercy of criminals? I hope they all burn."

Chiie looked like she'd just been slapped. She backed away from him, looking at him as if she didn't know him. Finally gathering herself together, she stalked out of the room without a word, passing a very confused Sakura on the way out. The tiny nin passed Takayori, not even acknowledging him as she stormed past him.

Takayori, to Sakura's well-trained eye, suddenly looked much older than his thirty-years belied; the difference, however, was only in his eyes. He glanced past her, to where Asazki's fingers were fidgeting with the sheets, exhibiting a rare sign of discomfort.

"It's been a long night, huh?" Takayori offered, though it wasn't much of a question.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah."

**-O-**

"…Our scientists have been attempting to change its course somehow, to slow it down, speed it up, do whatever we need to in order to get it back on course, but it's out of our control."

Gaara didn't like hearing his sister's voice so grim. He took a deep, even breath before answering.

"Suna won't survive another two years without rain. The weather system has to be altered somehow or the village with perish. We have a whole branch of the government devoted to this kind of research."

"We can't move an entire storm system, not one powerful enough that it sustains the village for years at a time," Temari sighed wearily.

"There's no chance it will hit us, even a fraction?" Gaara's voice was devoid of emotion.

"We've checked the trajectory again and again—it's going to pass too far to the east and miss us by over a hundred miles. All that rain will fall into the ocean."

Gaara thought about how horribly twisted and unfair that was, that a bunch of fish in an ocean full of water would be tossed around and destroyed in a storm that his village needed for its very survival.

"What measures have we taken?"

"We've always been strict on water rations; I have us down to bare minimum; the last thing we need are even more civilian complaints, though. There's been a small emigration of citizens to other villages within Wind; I'm just grateful they're not leaving the country entirely."

"Their departure will still impact the economy," Gaara muttered. "The rising cost of water and the ongoing restrictions hit businesses the hardest. Over the next few years we'll have to expect the majority of these merchants to leave. If the situation is as dire as it sounds, the daimyo will undoubtedly push for an alliance with Hidden Cloud."

"How are negotiations going?"

"More like 'how many insults can they cram into a sentence,' " Gaara replied bitterly. "One of the delegates, Kenji, has clear objections to an alliance. He clearly does not want the help, and I must say I am not eager to give it."

"We're going to need the money." There was no hesitation or wavering in Temari's statement. It was purely a fact she was reciting. "I don't know what Konoha is planning to do, but our course is pretty much set."

This grim, sober realization sat heavily between them, cradled in the long silence from both ends as they considered the ramifications of helping a country in the midst of a vicious civil war.

"How is Lee doing?" Gaara, in a rare effort to change the subject for the sake of his sister, decided on something far more light-hearted. "He's not getting in your way, is he?"

"I think some of our more seasoned taijutsu masters are having a hard time accepting that there's someone out there so eager to learn everything; they're convinced he only wants to know Suna's best-kept hand-to-hand combat secret techniques. His enthusiasm is a little disturbing for the inexperienced. Hearing the occasional complaint about Rock Lee is better than getting reports about how the village is doomed to extinction within the next few months. Seriously, though, why did you request that he be sent here, especially at a time like this?"

"Lee's someone that will try as hard as ten men to get a job done. For being insanely eager to please, he's not a yes-man and he's not a pushover. You're going to have to call in a lot of favors, and you need someone strong enough to back you up; you're formidable by yourself but having a representative from another shinobi nation adds another dimension of urgency to any request. I'm sure you've noticed he's very willing to do almost anything you ask, and I knew you'd need the help. I also know that he's too obnoxiously decent and honest for you to take total advantage of him, so I thought I'd spare Mura the task of being your slave."

The silence on the other end was unreadable.

"Am I wrong?"

"Mura is very efficient…"

"But I need her here with me."

"Leaving me the 'B-Team' then?"

"Rock Lee is hardly 'B-Team' material. He's just better suited for vigorous errand-running and a slavish schedule and Mura is better suited for observation and sensitive information-gathering."

"You just wanted Mura all to yourself," Temari said smugly, and Gaara instantly knew she was teasing him.

"Why would I want her all to myself?"

Gaara detected and wondered at the disbelief reflected in his sister's sigh. "Have you _looked_ at her? She's a beautiful girl, Gaara. She's smart enough to know that she's not going to win your heart by fawning all over you like Matsuri."

"I'm not convinced Mura's out to 'win my heart,' as you put it," Gaara replied.

Gaara could practically hear Temari shrug on the other end. "Sure, whatever."

Gaara ignored her ironic tone with ease. "We're meeting with the Lightning nins later this week. If anything changes, let me know."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," Temari said solemnly.

As Gaara hung up the phone, he glimpsed Mura approaching.

"I thought you were staying with the dining party."

"The dining party, ah…" Mura was fishing for a verb with a little less bite than 'got the hell up and left.'

"Dispersed?" Gaara supplied helpfully.

"Yeah…something like that…"

**-O-**

Jou hated to admit it, but upon leaving the teahouse, she was lost. She'd been on her way to the bathroom about twenty minutes earlier when she'd seen Mura slink inside; Jou didn't know her well, but didn't particularly want the Sand nin to possible follow her, so she'd decided to wait until she got home.

_I come to Snow Country often but I'm not good with directions…I probably should have thought this through a little better…_

Jou watched the warm breath from her sigh waft through the chilly night air. Temporarily distracted, she pitched forward when the door behind her swung open. It took her a moment to catch her balance, and when she looked up, a very sheepish-looking, handcuffed Shikami was being led away by police officers, one of which was holding a large brown bag. When he spotted her, his eyes widened.

"Grab the bag!"

Tenten watched in wonder as the handcuffs suddenly fell from his wrists. Yoshida told her of his nephew's talents, but he never used his own in front of her before. The tiny screws in the handcuffs seemed to simply pop out.

"You didn't even need to use a jutsu—"

"_Grab the bag and follow me!"_

Jou reacted without thinking, grabbing the brown bag and running after him. She watched him perform a jutsu and the men froze momentarily, looking confusedly back and forth between each other.

"What did you do to them?" Jou demanded.

"They're fine, come on," Shikami urged, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. When he glanced back, he added, "Watch those bananas near the top! Don't drop them, they're chill-sensitive!"

"Why do you have a bag of fruit?" Jou said, allowing herself to be led.

"There's some vegetables in there, too. Perhaps I should have said 'produce' instead," Shikami said thoughtfully, stopping suddenly. Jou bowled right into him, causing the predictable result of sending her flying. Shikami managed to grab her wrist and catch the bag.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Follow me!"

**-O-**

Long after Sakura and Takayori left him, Asazaki turned his head to the side, despite a throbbing pain in his neck, to look out the window of his hospital room.

_In some ways…in a lot of ways…I'd rather die than go back,_ he thought calmly. _Not one part of me wants to fight for Kenji's old man; the bastard deserves whatever he gets. The country went to hell a long time ago, before I was even born. Let it get itself out of it._

Asazaki thought about all the people he ever cared about, and how he'd pretty much lost them all already, in one way or another. Granted, he had more than a passing fondness for Izari and Rikichi and Chiie and the like, but he suspected they would be a lot more willing to fight for the country than he was. Growing up, everyone else always had reasons to fight.

_I've always longed for a sense of real connection to Kumo, but I never got it. Yugito was the closest thing to family I ever had, and the only person I can honestly say I've really ever loved. She was the only true tie to Kumo, one that was cruelly severed years ago. It was like my final bridge had burned itself up…_

_Chiie's right. The world is changing. __**Our**__ world is changing. But I can't ignore the big part of me that just wants to see it all burn in hell._

**-O-**

Hajime knew that smoking was terrible for him. He knew that if his sister was around, she'd probably flip out and give him a lengthy lecture on how much money he was spending on them and how he'd get cancer and how he'd have to spend a lot of money on medical help because of the cancer.

_Riis, you don't know how good a vice is_, Hajime thought, shaking his head. _After that dinner tonight, I deserve this._

Hajime knew that the appearance of the Lightning nins very likely meant that he, his sister, Riis, and her former-teammate and fellow conservatory instructor, Midori, would likely be returning home unwillingly. He was secretly happy that Riis and Midori hadn't been at the dinner, too, or some bad shit would have _really_ gone down.

_Everyone's always fighting_, Hajime thought helplessly. _ Everyone likes to argue except me._

Hajime happened to glance up at a noise, and when he spotted a very small, very cranky red-haired Lightning nin stomping down the sidewalk across from him, he watched her with interest. He was quite surprised that she wasn't making tiny little size-5½ shoeprints in the cement itself. Knowing there was never a good time to confront anyone about the subject matter he was intent on, but considering what was happening, he didn't have time to wait. Very cautiously, Hajime approached, looking for any signs that it really _was_ a bad time to do so.

"Um…Chiie-san?"

Without warning, Chiie's fist shot out, nearly catching him in the face. He grabbed her wrist and held it firmly, having anticipated an attack of some kind. Though he wasn't much larger than she was, his size was serving as a temporary advantage, if only because of the reach.

"Thanks for not following up with your famous uppercut," Hajime blurted out. He wasn't trying to be funny, it was truly the first thing that jumped into his mind. The last person she delivered her infamous uppercut to was carried on a stretched to the hospital, his teeth in his buddy's pocket.

"Oh my god, Hajime-chan, I didn't mean—" Chiie just kind of lost it and a ton of words started pouring out of her mouth in a jumble. "It's been such a terribly night and Asazaki's in the hospital and somehow he's not scared at all that we have to haul ass back to Lightning Country or Kenji will kill us and I really think Kenji **will** kill us because he's an evil, heartless bastard and I just wish that Yoshida was here—"

Hajime felt a pang at Yoshida's name. He missed the man a lot, but that wasn't the reason. At the mention of another man's name from Chiie's mouth, it always caused an unintentional twinge of jealousy he was hard-pressed to control. He'd hidden his feelings for her very carefully, but it didn't make it less painful to know she looked up to other men more than him. Asazaki was handsomer, Rikichi was funnier, Kenji was stronger…Pushing all those thoughts aside, Hajime concentrated on calming her down.

"Shhh, it's alright," Hajime soothed, realizing that the woman was so tense she was borderline hysterical. He steered them towards an alley that afforded them some shelter from the bitter cold. He held her as she cried, having a rather good idea what it was really about.

"Chiie…"

"Yeah?"

"There's no good time to ask you this, but it's the middle of the night in a deserted alley, and I know we're not being watched…"

"…What is it?" Chiie asked anxiously, her tears beginning to freeze on her cheeks.

"At the risk of sounding insensitive, then…"

"Damn it, get to the point!"

"How far are you along?"

Chiie wrenched herself from his grasp and threw her back against the opposite wall of the alleyway. The sight of her mouth open in disbelief was rather funny, but Hajime knew it wasn't exactly in his best interest to laugh.

"How the hell do you know?"

Hajime shrugged, avoiding the question. "You're in your second trimester, aren't you?"

"Once again, how the hell do you know?"

Hajime blinked. "Ever since you were thirteen you'd start off your day with three shots of espresso coffee. You haven't touched coffee, not since early August."

"You figured out I'm not pregnant because I've stopped consuming caffeine?" Chiie's voice was disbelieving.

"…I've also noticed you've gained a little weight."

Chiie blinked. "Fantastic."

"For the amount of exercise you do, one might think that you'd show immediately, but Yoshida told me that the exact opposite could be true, and that even tiny women can barely show." Hajime smoothly glossed over the fact he'd mentioned her weight.

"Do you think anyone else knows?" Chiie tried unsuccessfully to avoid eye contact; this didn't really work as he was fairly close in height to her, moreso than any other man she was close to.

"It's not like I feel inclined to tell the less perceptive about clandestine pregnancies," Hajime reassured her. "It's just…you have to be careful who finds out."

"What do you mean?" Chiie didn't like the underlying tension on Hajime's voice.

There was no point beating around the bush. "Kotabe Nori is in Snow Country."

"…He killed your parents."

"And my brothers, two of the three famed Sabo triplets," he finished in clipped tones.

"I'm sorry," Chiie whispered, putting a hand on his arm.

"Well, he's also killed Kenji's mother, the former Raikage of Lightning Country, my baby sister, Rikichi's father, and is responsible for dozens of other murders in the past decade in some form or another, so it's not like I have exclusive rights to bitch."

Chiie recognized the anger there – Hajime had turned down an offer to work for Nori and had seen his parents, two brothers, and younger sister die as a punishment. His blue eyes softened when he looked at her. Hajime appreciated the sympathy, he really did, but years later, it didn't touch him anymore, not at all.

"It was a long time ago," Hajime exhaled sharply.

"Why is he here?"

"Looking for Yoshida's prized Key, undoubtedly."

Chiie frowned. "But Yoshida's dead…the Key won't work."

"Um…" Chiie had the unique experience of seeing Hajime at a loss for words. The younger boy (no, man, Chiie reminded herself, because at sixteen, he was more mature than anyone else she'd known at that age, even older) shoved his hands in his pockets and started to walk purposefully away, leaving a very curious and very frustrated redhead behind him.

"Yeah…" Chiie prompted when Hajime did not continue, her shorter legs struggling to keep up with Hajime's furious pace. She nearly collided with him when he stopped abruptly, turning to face her. Before she could recover herself, she could barely believe the words he had hesitated so strongly against uttering.

"You see…Yoshida isn't technically dead…"

**-O-**

**Author's Notes: **Very rough, but I wanted to get it out there. Next chapter is started. I tried rewriting this several times, but I'm still not sure. The next chapter will be fun, I promise. Some very familiar faces will be making a reappearance!


	25. Vendetta

**Vendetta**

_Sonnie_

Hajime barely caught Chiie before she hit the ground.

_Damn it, whatever happened to normal teen problems other kids my age have?_ Hajime thought grumpily. To his immediate relief, she hadn't fainted, she'd just toppled because she'd been standing with her knees locked. He began to realize the ordeal was far from over, however.

"It's that bloody key, isn't it!? Yoshida and his goddamn…You know what, I don't think I even want details right now; I can't _handle_ details. And what if everyone finds out about me?"

"Um…everybody _will_ find out. You're _pregnant_. It kind of has a way of making itself known."

"Stop trying to be funny!"

"Trust me, I'm not."

"Damn it, how did this happen?" Chiie wailed.

"Well, when two people really love each other…"

"I said stop trying to be funny!"

"You're the one that asked the question. Honestly, I'm sure you know a lot more about it than me."

Instead of getting angrier, Chiie's hands flew to her leaking eyes. "What am I going to do?"

"Chiie, I will help you through this. Your family will help you through this."

"_**HOW AM I GOING TO TELL MY BROTHERS**_???"

_Well, there are seven of them_, Hajime thought grimly. _Though I'd honestly be more scared of her father than anything else…_

"Chiie, you're not alone. You have people that can and will help you."

Maybe it was the tone of his words, or the comforting weight of his palm on her shoulder, but Chiie just took a deep breath and said nothing. The tears slowly stopped, and for the longest time they just stood in silence.

"…I'm scared, Hajime."

"I know. I am, too."

"I never thought I'd be telling you that. Nobody likes admitting defeat, but I can't fight what's happening. After all the fighting I did to get here, and now I'm going to be forced to leave my home…" Chiie looked tired and older than Hajime had ever seen her.

_I guess it's how she "should" look, with all the energy she puts into things, Hajime thought. I'm so used to seeing her rush around, always smiling, always making sure things run smoothly for everyone else…And she never complains about it, not ever. She just gives and gives until…_

"Chiie, don't give up."

_You can't give up. I mean, if __**you**__ give up, what does that mean for the rest of us, then? I can't bear to see you like this._

"What's going to happen to my family, Hajime? They've been evicted. Where are they going to go? Where am _I_ going to go?"

"We'll all be heading back to Lightning Country soon; things will get straightened out. I'm sure if you just talk to Kenji—"

"_No_."

"Kenji's a lawyer and the property is now in his family name. I hate to say it, Chiie, but I've got absolutely nothing left back there. I'm in no position to help you, but I want to. The only thing I know that you can do is talk to him."

"I trust _you_."

Hajime peered at her carefully. "You really hate Kenji, don't you?"

"I don't hate him. I just don't believe a word he says."

"…_Okay_…"

"Look. A part of me will always remember how we used to be. But it's just that we've gone in the totally opposite direction and the fact that he used to be different makes his current behavior more than a little unacceptable. I know he's not nice to you, and he should be—you've been through just as much as he has. But you don't know him. He didn't break your heart."

Hajime winced inwardly at the rather urgent tone her voice was taking, but realized she had a point. Kenji didn't like him for good reason, but Hajime had never really been all that concerned, at least for himself. Kenji sure had the ability to hurt someone, though, and the idea that Chiie had once loved him meant she'd been raked over coals a thousand times before she made the choice to walk away that one thousandth and first time.

Hajime was quickly looking for something good in all of this, and what he realized wasn't going to give her any comfort at this point. _Well, at least she's not in love with him anymore…_

"Hajime, I'm sorry, I'm just under so much stress," Chiie said quietly, wrapping her slender arms around him and giving him a hug. "You're not mad, are you?"

Hajime wondered who on Earth could possibly get mad at an adorable little redheaded ballerina who was going to have a baby in four months; the fact he'd spent a healthy (or unhealthy) portion of his life in love with her was truly peripheral. There was just no way. He resisted the strong urge to pat her on the head, despite being four years her junior.

"I'm not mad at you," he said truthfully. _I'd be the last person who could get angry at someone who's got problems. I've got some of my own right now, too…_

"Let's go to Riis's place," Chiie suggested. "I want cookies and milk."

"I've got cookies and milk at my place," Hajime informed her.

"_Real_ milk, not that soy milk junk you drink. It tastes like beans."

Hajime's knee-jerk reaction was to automatically retort, but instead he acquiesced. Hajime hadn't had real milk in a long time, he was able to acknowledge that soy milk wasn't quite for everyone…And Riis would like the company, too.

_Riis is so much better at dealing with emotional people than I am_, he reasoned, and slid a comforting hand around Chiie's shoulders before they headed out.

**-O-**

"Kotabe Nori is in Snow Country."

The even, almost conversational tone did not for one second distract Shukuchi.

"Why? Surely he's not here for your uncle's funeral. It's not as if he and his brother-in-law were great friends," the latter grumbled.

"Nori _killed_ Yoshida, but in the time since the murder he has gone back to Kumo, only to return here once again."

Shukuchi suddenly looked very tired. "Why would he do that? Yoshida's stayed out of business back home, for the most part. He checks in with your father, from time to time, but that's the extent of it. The fact Nori came all the way out here, went home, and then came back…it doesn't make sense."

"He obviously wants everyone together. Asazaki, Chiie, Hajime, Riis…they're all loose ends, as far as he's concerned."

Shukuchi looked disgusted. "What more could he possibly do to Hajime and Riis? Killing them would be a mercy after what he put them through."

Kenji said nothing.

"What else can Nori achieve here? He's already killed Yoshida. The others aren't a match for him, though after Chiie managed to wound him as a mere chuunin he's always been a little wary of her. But if he had anything special planned for her I'm sure he would have already acted. And Hajime…he's got unfinished business with him, if you could call it that. But if he hasn't moved against either of them yet…"

"He's after the Key."

"What's a Key?" Shukuchi asked, puzzled.

While Kenji didn't like the idea of revealing a bunch of family secrets to Shukuchi, he grudgingly admitted to himself that the kid was probably a lot less likely to use them against the family than most people would be in the situation.

"Your uncle, my uncle, and Rikichi's wife used to be on a genin team together."

"Yes, Ayase, Takayori, and Yoshida, all famous med nins."

"When they were training together, they became best friends. As the years progressed, my father detected their strong loyalties and attempted to break them by making sure they never went on any missions together. Though they were far too valuable to lose, he tried to prevent them from becoming any closer. The three of them created items called Keys so that they would be able to convene, all three of them, whenever a Key was used."

At the look on Shukuchi's face, Kenji elaborated further.

"It basically works as a three-person summon. They all show up where the originator is. If Takayori was, say, by the ocean, they'd be right at his side the instant he used it. It summons doorways, basically. These doorways are strong enough to even nullify Nori's strongest shields."

"Why would Nori be after a Key?"

"He wants to take over the country; he's saying it outright, now that he's so bold. Ayase and Takayori are his biggest immediate threats, aside from the Raikage himself. It's not just because of their offensive power. He took out my uncle because the man, despite his flaws, was a genius with seals. Takayori is probably as talented as Fire Country's Hokage but at healing but is only half her age and Ayase's family is almost as powerful as mine, despite that fact her father hasn't spoken to her since she eloped with Rikichi. Additionally, both are looked to as strong leaders in the shinobi community, and each are powerful nobles with lots of money. Killing them both is necessary for his ascension."

"How would having a Key help?"

"It would summon both of them to a location of his choice, where his men would surely be waiting for them. An ambush is his only chance of killing either of them, as he lacks strong individual ninjas like we have. Unfortunately, he's got a strong advantage in numbers, one that we just don't have. Nori's bloodline, while effective, takes a lot of time to work. He killed my mother, but it took him a very long time to gain full control over her. He could probably kill us all, if he had enough time, but he does not, so he will continue to pick us off one by one."

"It sounds like only one of the three could actually _use_ a Key."

"Yes. Only Takayori, Ayase, or Yoshida is capable of using a Key."

"Then how can he use Yoshida's Key if Yoshida is dead?"

Shukuchi did not like the look in Kenji's eyes before the older nin opened his mouth to answer.

**-O-**

Kankurou heard the vicious lightning outside, wondering vaguely if Izari was enjoying the weather. He honestly didn't know how she was handling everything that was happening to her. He wasn't exactly looking for her, but found himself traveling an unfamiliar path back to the hotel. He thought he saw Hajime and Chiie embracing across the street in some alleyway, but in the darkness could not be sure. He carefully tucked that bit of info away as he continued on his journey.

_Still don't know what the hell I'm trying to find…_

In his haste, Kankurou narrowly missed bowling over a young girl, who he immediately recognized as Amaya. Her dark eyes were wide with recognition, and something else…

"You're trying to find her, too, aren't you?" she asked quietly, her question punctuated by a vivid streak of lightning tearing across the sky. It lit up her face, revealing a very serene, almost detached expression. The accompanying thunder was so loud that Kankurou almost jumped, but Amaya didn't seemed concerned in the slightest.

Kankurou said nothing, but Amaya seemed to pull the name right out of his mind.

"Izari. You're looking for Izari."

Kankurou didn't confirm or deny her assertion, but she seemed to know.

"I was looking for her, too. My brother really cares for her. You do also, though the bond between you is much more recent."

Kankurou resisted the strong urge to back away and assume a defensive stance. She seemed to pick up on this, and took a step back as if to assist in his comfort.

"You're wondering if I read minds."

"Damned straight."

"It isn't that simple. It's more like…" Kankurou wondered how the hell he was having such a conversation with an eight-year-old. "…Imagine a room with black walls. I'm standing in the middle. The thoughts at the top of your mind, your most urgent, apparent desires, are right at the surface and fill the room like plumes of smoke, writing words or drawing pictures that I interpret."

"That's creepy."

Kankurou didn't even feel remotely apologetic for saying it. It _was_.

Amaya smiled indulgently, an action that made her look incredibly mature. "It is. I wouldn't deny it."

"I think your whole family is kinda weird, now that I think about it."

A funny line appeared on Amaya's young face as she recalled her older brother earlier that night. "Again, I'm not denying anything."

"You especially."

Amaya shrugged. "People act very different towards you once they realize they can't lie to you. It never occurs to them that someone, especially a child, might occasionally want to hear them."

"…You and that Shukuchi kid are real smart."

"You've got to be when people try to kill you every day."

_Fair enough. Gaara sure grew up quick._

"Why tell me all this?"

"Why not? You're not my enemy."

Just for the sake of knocking her off-kilter he was tempted to contradict her, but knew it was pointless.

Kankuro leveled a critical gaze her way. "Since you're all for speaking plainly, how come if you know so much you're on the brink of losing your war?"

"In order for me to glean information, a person actually has to be thinking it at the time. I don't know a person's life story unless they stand right in front of me and _think_ it. I hardly know anything about you, other than you were looking for Izari-san when I found you." Amaya paused, tilting her head to the side. "Now you're thinking about the first time you two ever—"

"I get the point," Kankurou grumbled.

"Even in battle, when a person is aware of their own weaknesses and considering strategy, I'm usually too concerned with my own welfare to concentrate on what someone else is thinking. It's not that practical, unless I'm fortunate enough to have someone serve as a diversion…I couldn't ask that of a teammate, to sacrifice or risk themselves while I stayed safe."

Kankurou knew a great many people who, if they were similarly gifted, would not hesitate.

_If my father knew someone who could do what she'd do, he'd be recruiting an endless line of human shields. This girl is special, though, and it appears her father is different than mine. Maybe being hyper-aware of the consequences would change their minds_, Kankurou thought, watching the change in Amaya's eyes.

"I wouldn't recommend looking for Izari tonight. She's not really up for talking to you yet. But why don't you try visiting her tomorrow? I know where she's staying."

Kankurou bit back a sardonic remark when Amaya retrieved a little black notebook and a fountain pen from her purse. The scene struck him as a very responsible, adult-like thing, to have a pen and paper ready at a moment's notice.

"Your bag's awfully big, kid. What'dya got in there, bricks?"

"Rocks. The gardens in the conservatory are full of them and the new gardener is very careless. He knocks them all over the place and I pick them up and put them in my bag."

"Oh."

"Well, I _am_ weird, after all," Amaya said, eyes still downcast as she finished writing out the address. She handed it to him with a flourish and finally looked up. Kankurou was struck by how mature her expression was.

"Where the hell is this place? I've never been here before."

"You'll find it, trust me. Besides, you have the address. "

"What?"

"Believe me, you'll be there tomorrow with little or no trouble at all."

**-O-**

"I hope the next time I attend a formal diplomatic function people can behave themselves," Mura sighed. Though she was normally quiet, she felt comfortable sharing her thoughts with her superior, who had a remarkably similar set of annoyances and grievances.

"It got worse after I left, from what I gather," Gaara muttered.

"That Kenji…though it's remarkable that he didn't just flatten poor Jou-san."

"She had a lot of friends at that table," Gaara observed. "She's very close to some powerful foreign shinobi."

"Well, we don't know for certain how powerful some of them are, but if the reports are correct…Rikichi became a jounin with the rest of their team when they were twelve years old. I was a genin until I was thirteen, and that's fairly standard."

"They grew up during wartime," Gaara supplied. "Teaching was accelerated."

"The information on the ninjas that are similar to our age…they seem like they have the laxest training, and it's very similar to our own: genins until twelve or thirteen and then jounins by sixteen or seventeen. I managed to learn that Jou had known Yoshida for eight years, since she was twelve. She's probably known many of them since. I also learned that she's even babysat Rikichi's children."

"These people lead two lives, personal and professional. We don't have the luxury of such a separation."

"But despite making time for families and friends and the like, they're extremely hard workers. Kenji is the youngest person in history to pass the bar exam (at age eighteen) and while it might not seem he gives much credence to the social lives of his friends, he does take advantage of leaves and vacations and takes holidays as frequently as he is allowed. Izari began medical school as a twelve year old, though due to her marriage she never got to finish. And remember the opera house by the conservatory?"

Gaara nodded. Though he wasn't an avid follower of much of anything, he had commented that it was an aesthetically pleasing building when they'd passed by.

"Rikichi designed it as a fifteen-year-old intern. When he was seventeen he was the youngest licensed architect in Lightning Country. I heard that his wife's father was the engineer."

"They certainly don't act like they're accomplished," Gaara told her.

"And how are they supposed to act?" Mura countered.

"They're shinobi."

"They're shinobi that have more intensive training than we ever did, or at least I ever did. It makes sense that they take advantage of their creative outlets."

"They're careless."

"You know, Naruto-san is an unconventional shinobi. It doesn't make him less powerful."

_But Naruto is special_, a part of Gaara was willing to admit.

"They're—"

Mura was interrupted by a messenger pigeon tapping on the window. With a bit of prudence she retrieved the note, as she didn't recognize the bird. Two pieces of paper unraveled, and after checking for traps (which she found unlikely, due to the fact they were signed very clearly by the senders), she handed Gaara the one addressed to him.

Gaara frowned at the stick figure drawing of him, with a huge heart on the forehead and exaggerated rings around the eyes. His name written next to it bore a masculine hand, but the words written on the other side were rather feminine.

_You are cordially invited to Jou and Shikami's Breakfast Extravaganza! Whether you be carnivore, omnivore, or vegan, we have everything you could possibly desire! Fresh-baked Danishes, Delicious Omelets, Tasty Donuts, Honey-Glazed Ham, and More! Come join the great-tasting goodness!!! Shinobi from Konoha, Suna, and Kumo are all invited!!!!_

After listing a time (which Gaara found suspiciously late to be breakfast) and an address, he handed it to Mura, whose invitation differed only in the featured foods department. Mura blinked.

"Do you smell that?"

Gaara nodded. "Vanilla-scented paper."

"You know, if I hadn't heard a very interesting rumor about Shikami, I might be tempted to consider him gay."

"A rumor?"

"Probably just, but I'm going to look into it more before I divulge it."

Gaara nodded.

"Do you think anyone else is going?" Mura asked.

"Well, if my brother's gets an invitation, there's no way he's passing up free food, especially if Jou's involved."

"And I noticed that Sakura-san has a healthy appetite." Mura blinked. "Not that I'd ever tell her that."

_Good call._

"Do you think the others will show up?" Mura asked him after a moment.

"Even if they arrive in time, they're not going to know anything about it," Gaara said after a moment, thinking of the reinforcements coming from Suna he'd arranged for before leaving.

"So am I going? Are you going?" Mura asked.

"We'll go. At the very least, we'll leave with full stomachs."

**-O-**

Shukuchi lay in bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep as the previous day ran through his head over and over.

_We already know about the situation in Suna…whether they like it or not, they might have to consider our offer. Konoha is different, though. Hyuuga hates us, and with good reason; I wonder how much sway his family has with the council, with the daimyo? Kumo is almost in shambles…And Yoshida…_

Shukuchi scowled at Amaya's empty bed. He spent nearly all of his time with his genin team, and while Sachi was a recent "acquisition," Amaya was his most trusted friend and advisor…which sounded odd for an eight year old to have, he knew, but he needed her around and she was only God-knows-where.

_I need to tell her that 'oh no, your uncle didn't die, but_ _Yoshida's soul is stuck in some inanimate object not found when his body was recovered'…What the hell? I mean, honestly, how are we supposed to find this thing? For all I know, Nori took it with him and is trying to figure out how to implant it in some person so that he can __**really**__ kill him. Why do people mess around with life and death? Why play God and fool around with stuff that's just plain unnatural?_

Though he found it might be much to his detriment, Shukuchi had quite a conscience sometimes. He'd heard of jutsus that could restore life; the Kazekage himself had been such a recipient. The notion of such a transfer, the very nature of it disturbed him.

_A person's life is his or her own…some would argue that they can do what they like with it, even give it away, but how can a person live after accepting such a gift? How could someone impart such a burden on someone else? All that guilt…_

"Shu-chan, you worry too much."

"Well, you're an eight-year-old girl who's outside in a strange city in the middle of the night. Of course I was concerned."

Amaya shrugged, hanging up her coat.

"My brother hasn't come back yet, has he?"

Shukuchi shook his head. "I think he's with Aijou-san."

"She doesn't like to be called that."

Shukuchi didn't bother addressing that, and continued. "He sent me a note a few minutes ago…Something about making a fruit salad and an invitation to breakfast tomorrow at Yoshida's estate. I guess your brother has a key to get in."

Amaya smiled indulgently. "He does like to cook, one of many things Raikage-sama disapproves of."

"Cooking is a survival skill," Shukuchi reasoned.

"Especially depending on the alternative cooks."

Shukuchi gave her a rare, genuine smile. "Would you like to go to breakfast with me tomorrow morning?"

Amaya grinned back. "I'd love to."

**-O-**

"What the hell?"

Shikamaru grumbled darkly as he threw open the window of his hotel room, having ascertained that the constant tapping wouldn't stop until he did. He irately snatched the pigeon out of the air, receiving a well-deserved peck in return before tossing the indignant bird aside. As he studied it, a distinct throbbing began to form behind his eyes.

"Is this a breakfast invitation? I just recovered from the dinner one!"

In the next room over, Sakura was basically thinking the same thing. Sakura slumped into a chair, her mouth quirking into an odd grin as she examined the letter. Large, manic characters had been scribbled on the light blue stationary inviting her to "Jou and Shikami's Breakfast Extravaganza!" Sakura blinked, and after a moment lifted the paper to her nose and sniffed.

Vanilla.

_Well, I'm glad some of us can get along; unfortunately neither Jou nor Shikami are actually here for political reasons!_

Sakura growled at the injustice of it all: the one shinobi they were all warned about, the one whose incredible powers were the most lauded was currently indulging in a late-night baking session with a scatterbrained musician who liked the color green. It wasn't even the promise of "fresh-baked cinnamon rolls" or "delectable donuts" – Sakura's stomach did growl, though – it just wasn't _fair_. Sakura had found Asazaki to be quite charming, but his already light diplomatic responsibilities were probably nonexistent now since he was in the hospital, and as an orthopedic surgeon as well as a med-nin, Takayori was more than likely obligated to attend even more medic meetings than she was.

"Damn it! All the nice people are too busy! We get stuck dealing with Kenji, the asshole."

Sakura winced when she realized the paper was now poking awkwardly out of her tightly-clenched fist. Sighing, she was attempting to smooth the wrinkles when a second courier appeared at the window. She recognized it immediately.

_Tsunade-shishou!_

Sakura hastily opened the letter, which informed her that they were beefing up the delegation with more shinobi, and that Suna was likely doing the same. It didn't list specifics, other than that Konoha would arrive "with a show of equal force."

_It must be in response to all the Lightning nin that are here_, Sakura winced. _But Rikichi has nothing to do with all this, and neither does Chiie-chan or Shikami. Takayori is here as much for the medical conference as I am…how 'in charge' is he, anyway? And since Asazaki is so firmly planted here, why has he been at all of our meetings? Why tap someone who doesn't really want to be involved?_

Sakura hoped that tomorrow would arrive with more answers, and, as she glanced at the blue invitation, the possibility of fresh donuts.

**-O-**

"What is a Danish, anyway?" Tenten frowned at the blue piece of paper. She wasn't really a fan of breakfast food. The pair was back at the small place they'd been staying at for the past week; it occurred to Tenten that this was the first time she actually _saw_ Izari there.

"It's a pastry you fill with cheese or fruit or nuts or basically whatever the hell you feel like putting in it," Izari supplied, looking at the invitation in her hand skeptically. Her brow lifted at "(no muffins, though, because Yoshida doesn't have the right kind of pan!)" Izari carefully traced the edges of the blue paper. "I think Danishes are overrated, if you ask me."

"Um, I'm glad they're getting along after what happened," Tenten offered. In handwriting that was most definitely not Jou's, the name "Ten-chan!" had been scribbled, accompanied by a stick figure with her signature hair buns. She looked over and saw that a giant "Izzie!" was scribbled across the blonde's invitation, the stick figure sporting a haircut Izari didn't currently possess.

"They're actually very similar," Izari said quietly. "Jou's kind of shy and formal at first, just like Shikami, but when they like someone, they're all over them. They both love music, they both love clothes, and they both love food. One of them is just really good at killing people."

"I guess it's weird, since you've spent the past eight years thinking he killed your son," Tenten said quietly.

"I just had so much trouble _believing_ it," Izari stressed. "I mean, this man has ruined a suit worth a dozen S-Rank missions to save a drowning _kitten_. The man just leapt right into the water with his shoes on and everything, didn't think to take the time and remove them first. He's just…_good_. His conscience is probably twice that of either Rikichi's or mine. And Rikichi is a super nice, albeit super cheesy guy, but he by far had the easiest time of being a ninja. I'm sure it had a lot to do with that mother of his."

"I would think, 'how could a man like that _do_ this to me?' and I never could come up with a good answer," Izari whispered.

**-O-**

When Izari fell into a fitful sleep later that night, she knew something was wrong. She'd only been on the receiving end of Nori's jutsu once, but it had been an experience she'd never really recovered from. Nori had the ability to connect to the mind of anyone he'd ever seen before, and as long as he knew where they were sleeping, they were susceptible to him intruding upon their dreams.

_Almost all the delegates are in that hotel, and it makes it way too easy for him to do this to them, too_, Izari thought. She found herself standing in darkness; the vague and idle dream she'd been experiencing prior had just suddenly stopped, as if a switch had been hit. She glanced to her left and saw she wasn't alone.

"What the hell is going on?" Tenten demanded.

Izari put a finger to her lips. "It's a combination of a genjutsu and a dream. Nori's attempting to connect all of our minds together and glean information."

"Nori?"

"Shikami's _other_ uncle. He gathers people's consciences together…since he can only learn information that a subject is thinking at the time, he needs a way to direct their thoughts in a place he wants to go. By assembling people together, he can do this, since he uses genjutsu and memories to evoke emotional responses."

"Huh?"

"This is an oversimplification, but pretend that he wants to learn your birthday. He'll gather you and a couple of your close friends in a dreamscape like this. He'll find a memory floating close to the surface of your subconscious that would remind you of that and show you. When you or a friend actually remember a past birthday (and the date of it), he'll know it instantly. You think it, he knows it."

Tenten felt her blood run cold.

"It's scary as shit," Izari whispered. "He can't do it often; if he really plans to gather up everyone's mind from the delegation, he's probably been saving up the chakra do this for weeks."

"Izzie?" Tenten looked over and saw Izari's former teammate holding his daughter's hand protectively.

"Rikichi!" Izari looked horrified when she realized that Nori really was trying to assemble everyone together. She had no idea what he might be looking for, and the thought of him taking on everyone was rather ambitious and didn't bode well. It meant he had plans, and really, really big ones.

Izari looked down. "He's here. Nori."

"Yes." Rikichi hugged Sachi closer.

"Why is she here?"

Tenten bristled when she recognized Kenji's voice. She turned to face him with narrowed eyes.

"She's a person of interest to him, apparently," Shukuchi muttered. Amaya was by his side.

Tenten realized that the empty, black space she'd inhabited was slowly filling with people she knew. When a familiar pair of white eyes came into view, she found her feet taking her to his side in an instant. She felt the strong urge to be comforted, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like Neji could provide it.

"What's going on?" Neji asked.

"It's some kind of genjutsu bloodline," she whispered. "It's been cast by a man named Nori."

"My uncle's murderer," a steely voice hissed. Tenten was surprised to find that it came from Amaya.

"What the fuck is this shit?"

Tenten turned to face Kankurou, who was standing with his brother and Mura. The latter were taciturn as usual.

"Late arrivals," Izari said quietly. She looked at Sakura and Shikamaru, who just showed up. She quickly explained the situation.

"Why aren't Shikami or Jou here?" Rikichi asked, puzzled.

"He didn't find out in time where they were sleeping," Kenji muttered. "And judging from the, ah, postage I received earlier, they're not asleep, and therefore not susceptible." Kenji glanced at Gaara. "Things must be pretty tense if you're willing to risk a nap, Kazekage-sama."

"Kenji!" Rikichi hissed. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Be _nice_. It's not like the man's ever done anything to you, and he's the Kazekage besides!"

"Which means absolutely nothing to me," Kenji said truthfully.

"Where are Chiie and Hajime?" Sachi asked, desperate to change the subject.

"He's with me, and so is she," a foreign voice said, and Tenten found herself staring at a beautiful woman with striking red hair. Her eyes were the same deep blue that Hajime's were, but that differences ended there. Hajime was at least twenty pounds lighter than this woman, who, in contrast to pin-think kunoichi such as Ino and Mura was lush and statuesque, at least seventy inches tall. The woman had irresistibly engaging features; she smiled at Tenten, and despite the situation, Tenten found herself smiling back.

"Hajime-chan told me about Asazaki…I'm assuming he won't be here. Nori likely doesn't know he's in the hospital."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"We're all trapped in a genjutsu of sorts," Takayori replied. He was the only person who seemed remotely calm. "We're all still asleep, at least our bodies are. Our minds are trapped here and they cannot be harmed. It's really no cause for alarm; Nori wants information. He's going to show us a series of memories and watch our reactions and thoughts, then read our minds to get the information he wants."

"And we shouldn't be freaking out because…?" Shikamaru snapped.

"As long as Nori isn't physically harming you, you should be grateful," Rikichi said vaguely.

"Or as long as he's not trying to physically impel you to commit suicide in your sleep," Kenji bit out. "…Which has happened more than once before."

"But the fact there are so many people here means he's not out for blood, not yet," Takayori reminded him. "He can only do that kind of thing one at a time."

"As far as we know," Kenji muttered darkly.

Gaara was listening very carefully to all that was being said. So far he ascertained that Nori had a powerful bloodline that could only work when a victim was asleep. Nori could show people memories in the form of dreams, but did so only because he couldn't delve too deeply into minds to get the information he was specifically after. He could also control a person's actions with physical consequences, but he had to do it one-on-one.

"This is a literal fishing expedition," Mura said flatly.

"Pretty much." Izari said dryly. "I have no clue what he's after, though."

"What is Nori waiting for?" Kenji asked impatiently.

"For everyone to show up."

Everyone turned to face a man Tenten had never seen before. He almost seemed to be doing a headcount. For someone who had managed to trap all their minds, he was almost unfairly nondescript and bland: average height, average weight, average features. His hair was chestnut-colored and his eyes were brown. He wore a black coat and black pants, but there wasn't anything distinctive about them.

"I'm a fan of discretion, and having a fashion sense is a bit at odds with that," he told Tenten simply. She had to keep herself from gasping; the man had known exactly what she was thinking.

"Now why isn't that girl here?" Nori was pacing back and forth, almost appearing to be lost in thought. Neji wondered why no one had moved to attack him and realized he couldn't move his feet.

"Attacking me on a non-physical plane of existence won't really do you much good," Nori told Neji. "…Though it is precisely your inability to harm me directly in this state that prevents me from harming you directly. The only person still alive that could is unfortunately not here…what a letdown."

Tenten realized she could feel waves of anger so strong it formed a pit of dread in her stomach, but they weren't coming from her. The red-haired stranger, as beautiful and composed as she looked outwardly, was sending very clear killing intent towards Nori, who appeared not to notice.

"Why isn't she here? She's supposed to be with you!" Nori pointed at Tenten and Izari, and it dawned on her who he wanted to see.

"What do you want with a civilian?" Shikamaru asked.

"He wants to kill her." Kenji said in the flat voice of someone who thought everyone should know all the answers too.

"Well, in all fairness, I want to kill every single one of you, but I was going to start with her." Nori declared this with an irritating level of nonchalance.

"But why?" Takayori's voice was as neutral as it could get for asking such a question. "There's nothing remarkable about her. There's no need to end her life, let alone start with her."

"_I've seen you before…"_

Tenten recognized Jou's voice, and soon the girl herself came into view. She looked like a ghost, and Tenten realized she was viewing a memory. She realized Jou was standing in what appeared to be an art gallery filled with drawn portraits.

"_I've seen you before," Jou said quietly, staring at his shoes._

"_You don't look very happy to see me again," Nori said._

"_You killed Yoshida! Why on earth would I be happy to see you?" Jou was furious._

"_As a close friend of Yoshida's, aren't you curious to know why I killed him? I'll even tell you if you ask."_

"_I know exactly why you killed him! You're an evil, sadistic bastard! He told me how when his parents died you made sure they lost every cent. A fifty-eight-percent inheritance tax, coupled with a convenient misinterpretation and mishandling of his parents' will made sure he and his sister were homeless! They were kids! He told me how you went after his knee in the jounin exam. He'd been groomed to become a leader of ANBU and you basically wasted all the time he spent training; no one would accept a man with a limp—"_

"—_A __**cripple**__—"_

"—_Into ANBU…and now that he's dead you're going to go after every single person he ever protected, like Hajime and Riis and Chiie and Asazaki and—"_

"—_You. I've already ruined your career in Fire Country. Your manager is a greedy man. And when I have him killed it's going to make you look even worse."_

_Jou blanched. "I don't want him dead!"_

"_But I do. Think about how much more negative press you're going to get. No one will ever want to remember your songs now."_

_The expression on Jou's face made her look three times her age. Nori was clearly relishing it. Finally, she met his eyes bravely._

"_I'm going to find a way to stop you."_

_Nori laughed, a sound that distressed Jou to the point where she looked half sick._

"_What could you possibly do to me? I killed an S-Rank shinobi the other day; Yoshida was far from the first. I could wipe out half the bingo book and collect more money than you've ever seen in your life. You can't even mold your own chakra outside your body…a __**genin**__ could kill you in a heartbeat."_

_Nori smiled at how pale Jou looked. "How do you feel that Yoshida thinks you're like Cordelia?"_

_Jou started at the sudden topic change. "What?"_

"_That drawing over there of you, it's entitled 'Cordelia,' correct?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_You know, in King Lear, Cordelia is quite noble and heroic."_

"_I'm familiar with the play," Jou bit out._

"_Then you know in the end, Cordelia dies."_

_Jou's hands clenched into fists at her sides._

" '_And my poor fool is hanged,' " Nori quoted, and with a few one handed seals, Jou was grasping at her neck._

_Jou whispered something before her throat closed completely, and Nori decreased the pressure of the jutsu and came closer._

" '_Is this the promised end?' " Jou's expression was almost taunting as she forced the breath through her bruised larynx._

_Nori smiled. "You know what…?"_

_When Jou didn't answer because she was attempting to draw breath, he continued. He was leaning over her weakened form, relishing her struggles._

"_I know all about your friend Izari. I think I'm going to wait to kill you so she can watch."_

"_What?!"_

_Jou stared helplessly at Nori's retreating back as her breaths came in ragged gasps. He threw her a careless wave over his shoulder. A gallery attendant finally realized Jou was in trouble and went to her aid. By the time Jou was standing, every trace of Nori was gone._

Tenten realized that that Izari was clenching her fists so tightly blood was dripping from her knuckles.

"Little Izzie, you're all grown up," Nori commented. "You don't look like a twelve-year-old boy anymore, with that ugly short hair you used to have. The last time I saw you was at your wedding…it's hard to believe that it was over nine years ago. You looked so unhappy I'm surprised the priest went through with it. I'd never marry someone so miserable looking."

"No woman would ever marry you!" Izari hissed. A look of panic rose in her eyes when she realized he'd very neatly pulled the memory he'd been looking for right out of her head.

_A sixteen-year-old Izari was almost unrecognizable beneath layers of fabric and cosmetics. Countless guests were in attendance; the beautiful idyllic scene was marred by the people who were obviously (at least to a trained shinobi eye) security personnel. White roses were everywhere, and since they weren't in season, Izari knew he'd spent a fortune on them. Everything reeked of money and excess: even the purple silk kimono would only be worn once._

_I could feed a whole village for over a month for what this thing cost, Izari thought bitterly. I never thought I'd be getting married like this, with all of this useless __**stuff**__ I don't care about!_

_As she bowed her head submissively to her new husband, she caught sight of the looks on Rikichi and Shikami's faces. Rikichi looked worried, Shikami looked pitying. She abruptly turned away before she cried…_

"I've noticed that your son looks a lot like you. He's even brighter than you were when you were that age, if that's possible. I can't believe Yoshida was hiding you…Even _I_ didn't learn that until recently…"

Mura, despite the situation, found Nori's ability to be quite remarkable. How he could monitor everyone's thoughts at once, and pull everyone's emotional heartstrings was quite incredible.

"Mura-san, I can actually do a _lot_ more than that, but I don't want to show you everything I can do," Nori told her as he wagged his finger. He smiled. "That comes later."

"Why did you really call us together?" Takayori asked him quietly. "Jou-san isn't here. You've obviously been following her movements…why have you gone through the trouble of rounding us all up?"

"He's desperate."

Everyone's eyes turned to Kenji.

"Jou is blocking him somehow from reading her thoughts. Did you notice at the end of that memory, when he let her repeat the line from Shakespeare? If he'd known what she'd said, as he should have, he wouldn't have done so. Given her utter lack for shinobi talents, I don't think it's intentional, but Jou does have mental discipline as much as any of us: playing the piano for hours at a time is enough to do that. And while that alone wouldn't be enough to stop Nori, it's a start. Am I right, Uncle?"

Nori narrowed his eyes.

"I _despise_ Jou, but she aggravates me for the same reasons she aggravates you," Kenji told him after a moment.

"It's not like she's able to stop me like she says."

"But if there_ is_ a way, she'll find it, and she'll do it without hesitation," Kenji said simply. "The only reason she's where she is now is because she's resourceful and hard-working. If she wasn't formidable in a few respects she wouldn't be famous and my uncle wouldn't have paid her any attention. And if she never would have stood up to you if she didn't mean it: no one would, if they really knew what was best for them."

"Her utter lack of survival skills are pretty appalling," Nori said blithely. "I really should have done a better job the first time I tried to kill her…but now it seems it's a good thing I failed. Now I can kill two birds with one stone."

"I know why you're looking for her. I know exactly what you need to do when you do. But I'm the only person here that can successfully shield my thoughts from you."

"But you're _not_ the only person who knows why I'm looking for her," Nori corrected. He closed his eyes in concentration. Next to Shukuchi, Amaya suddenly grew stiff.

"Shikami tells you a lot of very useful things, my dear," Nori said gently. "Now why don't you tell me? Can it be done…?"

The dark haired girl swayed on her feet, whispering some kind of mantra under her breath. She looked like she was in great physical pain; she was biting her lip so hard it was bleeding. She whimpered, as if resisting Nori's mind was too much.

"STOP!"

The shout was almost deafening; Tenten could feel it inside her mind as well as in here ears. Amaya's dark eyes flew open and she began to rapidly form seals. Drawing upon chakra stores her eight year old body simply couldn't have, she finally completed the jutsu and the darkness began to fade back into light.

"That's a neat trick, Amaya," Nori said calmly, despite the fact his genjutsu was beginning to dissolve. Tenten noticed that both Rikichi and Sachi had disappeared. Shikamaru and Mura were also gone. She glimpsed Amaya laying limp in Shukuchi's arms before they blinked out of existence and suddenly she was forced out, too.

Tenten gasped awake and adrenaline carried her to the couch where Izari was still sleeping. In a moment, the blonde began to stir.

"What the hell was that?" Tenten demanded.

Izari blinked. "He's going after Jou, that son of a bitch." Izari blinked again, this time pausing to collect herself before she spoke. "…Though if Amaya survived that incredible feat back there, she just moved to the number-one spot on Nori's hit list."

"Why Jou?"

"Why _not_ Jou?" Izari sighed. "Nori's tried to mess with her before in an attempt to bug Yoshida, and Yoshida got _**pissed**_. It, uh, wasn't pretty. Naturally, Nori holds this against her…it's just how he is. He really is someone you don't want to tick off. He's the kind of guy that will torment you until he kills you: he likes to play with his food. It's much more terrifying than someone aloof and cold. Nori's intense and emotional and he will nail all your weak spots if you let him."

"It sounds like he makes everything personal," Tenten muttered.

Izari laughed, a bitter sound. "That thing Jou mentioned about the leg? Yoshida used love playing soccer when he was young. It was one of his hobbies, and he was really good, too. You can imagine what requiring a cane did to his pride. Nori has his cake and eats it too."

Izari fell back onto the couch with a sigh. "I'm going to breakfast to warn her tomorrow. They have no idea what happened tonight; I bet they're still in the middle of a euphoric bake-a-thon. Shikami needs to be warned, too. Nori's been trying to kill him for _years_."

"Your country is fucked up."

"Tell me about it." Izari flung an arm across her face. "I'm going to go to sleep, and I suggest you do the same. We're going to wake up, get dressed, and go eat a damned good breakfast. Nori's out of chakra for now; I don't think he's likely to try something for a few days."

Tenten was quiet for a moment until she remembered a discrepancy she was curious about.

"The red-haired woman, who is she?"

"Remember that lazy ass I was telling you about, the genius at creating jutsus?"

"Yeah…"

"She was one of his teammates. She's freaking smart, too, one of only five shinobi in the past twenty five years to score a perfect score on the written exam. That thing is like a novel and they dump it on the desk in front of you…"

"Who else scored perfect? Anyone I know?"

Izari turned a funny shade of pink. "Um, I did. And Jin, the lazy ass, got every single question wrong on purpose, so he technically got a perfect score…wow, the Raikage himself really got on his case for that…"

"Anyone else?"

"Takayori, Ayase, and Yoshida."

"Oh wow." Tenten wondered if they were the equivalent of sannin in their country.

"There's one other, but you don't really know him."

"I'm surprised Kenji didn't, for as superior as he acts."

"Kenji got one question wrong. It was a language question. It's why he pursues it so intently: he actively improves upon his weaknesses more than anyone else I know. He turned it into one of his greatest strengths."

"Did he go to that redhead for help?"

"Actually, he did. They actually became good friends. From what Yoshida says, now that Kenji's hung up on Chiie, she's giving him a hard time about life coming full circle. And damn it if Chiie didn't sincerely love the guy. He deserves to get his heart stepped on."

"Ouch."

"It's not as if you like the guy."

"Yeah, but a broken heart really sucks. Losing all that common ground…"

Izari sighed loudly, the volume meant to mask the note of wistfulness that crept in. "He destroyed his bond with her, quite willingly and quite rudely. It serves him right if he doesn't get it back. But Shikami…I knew when he came to me on that fateful night that he never meant to hurt me personally, and I actually feel bad that he spent the past eight years thinking he did. And you and Neji…I guess if both people fight to get it back, I think they can. That's what I'd like to think."

"I hope I see him tomorrow."

"See, you've already reached the first step: actually wanting to see the person. You're already so much closer to repairing your friendship than Chiie and Kenji are."

Izari reached out and ruffled Tenten's hair, a gesture she did not appreciate.

"What the hell?"

"If only you were my genin student…the fun we would have had!" Izari grinned mawkishly.

"And I thought my sensei was weird."

**Author's Notes**: To anyone concerned about original characters, the majority of them are just going to be in a few chapters here and there. I want Tenten and Neji to learn from the experiences of others: they'll learn exactly what NOT to do and how really great friends can totally screw up and distant friends can heal their relationships. All heartwarming stuff in the name of love and such.

Breakfast will be fun. Lots of Nejiten. And you're just going to love the "representatives" Konoha decides to send. I do :D


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